


Nick Needs a Family

by PullTogether



Series: PullTogether's Zootopia Fanfic Collection [5]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-08-20 12:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 38,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8249510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PullTogether/pseuds/PullTogether
Summary: When new clues surface in a cold case involving Nick’s missing father, Nick and Judy race against the clock to find him, but will their budding relationship survive? Sequel to Judy Jumps in Headfirst.





	1. Chapter 1

  


The vixen smiled at the young fox as he snuggled into bed. She sat next to him and stroked his ears while she recited a rhyme:

 

_ Vintery mintery cutery corn _

_ Apple seed and apple thorn, _

_ Wire, brier, limber lock, _

_ Three geese in a flock; _

_ Along came Tod, _

_ With his long rod, _

_ And scared them all to Migly-wod. _

_ One flew east, one flew west, _

_ One flew over the cuckoo’s nest. _

 

And like every night since the day he was born, his mom changed the last line and finished, “Make your way home, Nick.” She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, her beaming smile barely masking the exhausted look in her eyes.

She started to get up and Nick said, “Mama?” 

The vixen paused. “What is it dear?”

“Next time, could you say it different? Until he comes back, can you say, ‘Make your way home, Pa’ instead?”

The vixen burst into tears.

 

Nick jerked awake. He blinked back tears as the memory of his mom’s stricken face faded, leaving only a dull ache in his stomach. Judy lay sprawled across his chest, and he was thankful he hadn’t woken her up. Nick gently slid out from under the sleeping rabbit and carefully climbed out of bed and padded into the living room.

He turned on his laptop, hoping to do something mindless to distract him from the dream. Instead, he found himself staring at the camera footage of his father’s abduction at the hospital, just like he had during so many other sleepless nights over the past six years.

“Can’t sleep?” Nick flicked the video closed, though he was sure Judy had seen it since she was already leaning against his back and draping her arms around his neck. “Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on my shifty fox.”

Nick chuckled. “I should put a bell on you, Carrots.” It wasn’t like she’d ask him about the video, but it never hurt to change the subject. “I am a little worried about seeing your family tomorrow.” 

“Really? It’s just my sister Hazel and her husband and kits tomorrow. You met her the last time you came home with me.”

Nick liked Hazel. It was almost scary how much she and Judy looked alike, though Hazel was a year older. “Yeah, but I haven’t seen any of your family since we… became an item.” He slowly spun in the desk chair and swept her into his lap. “And we’ve never had them over to our--” he coughed, trying to hide what he almost said. “I mean, I haven’t spent time with them here in the city.”

Judy giggled. “You have pretty much already moved in here, haven’t you?”

Nick cringed inside before he continued. “I don’t wanna scare your siblings, Fluff. Are… are you sure you want me here when your family comes over? I mean, I could--”

Judy interrupted him. “You don’t even need to ask. Of course I want you here!”

Nick sighed with relief. They still hadn’t talked about officially moving in together, and he didn’t want to intrude.

 

* * *

 

Nick gently raised the baby rabbit over his head and slowly lowered her towards his gaping maw.  Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Judy’s ears shooting up. Nick froze, the baby rabbit dangling inches from his teeth, the kit smiling down at him.

The baby’s mother, Hazel, was facing away from Nick while she talked to Judy. She stopped speaking when she noticed Judy’s expression and turned around. Just as Hazel’s gaze fell on them, Nick puckered up and kissed the baby’s neck, causing the little bunny to giggle.

Hazel smiled. “Aww Nick, you’ll make a great father someday.” Nick tried not to laugh when Judy scowled at him over Hazel’s shoulder. “Though you might want to be careful, she just ate and--” Hazel was interrupted as the baby rabbit laughed once more before she spit up on Nick’s shirt.

The fox looked annoyed at first, then he shrugged and gave the kit to Hazel. He looked down at his chest and reached for the paper towels on the nearby kitchen counter. “Oh well, just another pattern for my shirt.”

Judy stopped laughing and made a face. “Eww. You should just toss out that ratty old shirt anyway.”

Nick pulled the shirt away from his fur and started wiping it as he headed towards the bedroom. “No way, Fluff. This thing is a classic.”

Judy followed Nick back to the bedroom where he carefully took off his shirt. She crossed her arms and said, “Serves you right.”

“What? I’m hungry, which I tried to subtly hint at earlier, but you just weren’t getting the message.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I would have said something, but I couldn’t get a word in edgewise now that Hazel is here.”

Judy rolled her eyes. “Oh brother. Get cleaned up and I’ll order out.”

Minutes later Nick had changed into a blue hawaiian shirt and headed back to the front room, where Hazel was talking to Judy, the baby bunny asleep in Hazel’s arms. “It’s a new project a bunch of our siblings have been working on, right here in Zootopia. I haven’t seen it yet, but Zeke is excited to show me what they’ve been doing.”

Nick smirked. “You bunnies, slowly taking over the world, one new warren at a time.”

Hazel continued. “Dad says it’s all a plot to lure more of our siblings to the big city. It’s going to be amazing. Not only will there be living space, but we’ll also be able to grow produce right here in the city.” Hazel looked over at Nick. “You know… you could do me a big favor, Nick. Tomorrow it’s going to be tough getting all the kits out to visit the new place after we see the museum. Could you watch some of them here while I take Judy to show her the warren? Don’t worry, not Miss Barfy here, but some of the older ones.”

Nick nodded. “Only if you make them all wear name tags.”

Hazel laughed.

Judy glanced at her sister inquisitively and said, “Are you sure, Nick?”

The fox leaned against the kitchen counter. “What, worried I’ll eat them or something?”

Judy folded her arms. “It’s not  _ them _ I’m worried about.”

Nick started to reply when Hazel interrupted him. “Don’t worry Judy, it’s only for a few hours. Just uhh… don’t tell Zeke. He’s a little weird around predators, but don’t worry. Nick is so great, I’m sure Zeke will come around.”

The doorbell rang and Nick practically ran to answer it. He looked through the peephole and saw the antelope from their favorite restaurant holding several white plastic bags. Nick licked his lips and pulled his wallet out of his pocket before he opened the door.

 

An hour later, Zeke arrived with a few kits. Nick was surprised to smell Judy’s obvious scent of sadness while Hazel introduced her husband and the other small bunnies. He had never known Judy to feel sad when he’d met other members of her family before.

Judy’s mood confused Nick, but Zeke’s mood was much clearer.

Nick held out his paw to the short stocky rabbit. “Nick Wilde.” He tried not to flinch at the buck’s scent, as waves of anger mixed with fear rolled across him.

After hesitating just long enough for it to be awkward, the rabbit briefly shook the proffered paw. “Ezekiel Brooks.” After an odd glance from his wife, he added. “But everyone calls me Zeke.”

The kits played busily but quietly. They drew, read, or played with toys they’d brought while Hazel continued speaking about the new warren. The three adult rabbits sat on the couch and Nick sat mostly silent in the office chair, watching the kits. He was amazed at how quiet the younger bunnies were, so different from the way young foxes always behaved. Sure, they could be rambunctious, but unlike foxes, they were able to behave some of the time too. Every now and then a young kit brought pictures to show the adults, even Nick, who always made a big production about how wonderful the drawings were, even when he had no idea what they actually depicted.

The entire time Zeke barely looked at the fox, until one of the the kits came over and asked to sit in Nick’s lap. The buck started to intervene and said, “Peggy, I don’t think--” but Hazel interrupted him with a loud harrumph and he fell silent.

With a smug look on his face, Nick picked up the kit. “What can I say, I’m one cuddly guy and bunnies can’t resist me.” He held the kit for awhile until she fell asleep, and smiled when Hazel nudged Judy to look at him. It took all the self control Nick had to ignore the angry glare on Zeke’s face.

 

* * *

 

Later that night after Hazel, Zeke, and the kits left, Nick and Judy collapsed on the couch and held each other.

“Whew, I love my sister, but she can be exhausting.” Judy smiled up at Nick. “And you were a real trooper. I saw Zeke giving you the stink eye all night. I’m so sorry, Nick.”

Nick shrugged. “Not everyone can appreciate how cool I am.”

Judy laughed. “The kits sure did. And I swear, Hazel bruised my ribs with her constant elbowing to look at you. If she starts pestering me about having kits of my own…” She trailed off into a wide yawn.

Nick sorely wanted to talk to Judy about several things, like why she’d been sad earlier. Though he was also worried, because he remembered how Judy seemed to be more and more interested in hearing about the living space at the new warren. They hadn’t officially talked about moving in together, but Nick had hoped they could talk about it soon. However, given Zeke’s reaction, he wondered just how welcome he’d be even visiting the warren, and as for him living there… well, that didn’t seem likely. But Judy yawned again before she snuggled against him, and he decided they would have to talk about this later. “Come on, Fluff. Time for bed.”


	2. Chapter 2

Judy looked both ways before she pulled the cruiser into the street. Something had been bothering Nick since last night, but Judy was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to start the tedious task of prying it out of him. The same niggling worry had been gnawing at her all morning: what if Nick wanted kits of his own someday? Judy wasn’t opposed to adopting, particularly given that she couldn’t have children of her own, but most rabbits preferred to have their own kits if possible, and she assumed foxes felt that way too. Judy remembered when her sister Hazel had been concerned that she herself might not be able to get pregnant, and since Zeke adamantly wanted kits of his own, that could have ended their relationship. Would Nick want to stay with Judy if someday he wanted biological kits of his own?

Judy knew she and Nick should talk about it. If he was ok with not having biological children, would Nick be open to adopting kits with her someday? Now that she thought about it, could an interspecies predator/prey couple even legally adopt kits together? Marriage between them wasn’t legal, though there had been some movement recently to change that. Judy felt it was way too soon in their relationship to worry about any of this, but still, it was something to consider now that she and Nick were seriously dating.

She tried to distract herself by thinking about the other conversation they should have soon. Nick had been at her place an awful lot lately. She liked having him around, and surprisingly he was fairly tidy in spite of what his place was like. He’d even offered to do the vacuuming a few weeks ago, a chore she hated more than any other, since the old machine was so loud it hurt her ears and it was just a little too big for her to maneuver easily. He said he liked doing it, though eventually admitted he’d lied, and had only offered because he saw how much she hated it. It was ridiculous comparing the two things, but still… if she asked Nick about having kits of his own, how would she know if he was being truthful and not just telling her what she wanted to hear?

Judy sighed in frustration as she realized she’d managed to meander back to the original issue that was bothering her. She could hear the concern in Nick’s voice when he abruptly asked, “You ok, Carrots? You’ve been awfully quiet this morning.”

Judy cringed. His sensitive fox nose made it difficult to hide when she was agitated. Putting on her cheesiest smile, she said, “I’m just sorry we had to crawl out of that comfy bed and come to work this morning.”

Nick gave her a puzzled look, then grinned and reached for the radio. “I think my partner may have a head injury. I better call it in.”

Judy laughed and batted his paw away from the mic. “What, I can’t say I enjoy cuddling with you in the morning?”

Nick shook his head. “You’re getting almost as good as me, when it comes to avoiding conversations. Seriously though, what is it, Fluff?”

She sighed, since she knew they needed to talk about a few things, though she could at least put it off until they weren’t trapped in the car. “Let’s wait until our lunch break.” She saw him tense up slightly, and added, “Relax Slick, it’s nothing bad.”

 

Later, as they relaxed on a park bench eating their lunch, Judy knew she could get Nick to talk by offering something he wanted to know in return. “I’ll tell you what’s on my mind, if you tell me what’s on yours first.”

Nick was silent for a moment, before he began speaking. “I know we haven’t talked about it yet… I’m just worried, if you move into the warren. I mean…” He trailed off.

Judy smiled. Not surprisingly, he’d been thinking about them officially moving in together too. “Are you worried that you wouldn’t be welcome there?”

Nick nodded.

“Look, there’s no way I’d ever live anyplace where you weren’t welcome.”

He smiled. “Thanks, Carrots.” He paused and looked at her expectantly.

Judy couldn’t figure out how to lead up to the question, so she simply blurted out, “Do you want to have kits of your own someday, Nick?”

Judy saw a range of emotions surge across his face, until he settled on a look of smug indifference. “No, I’m good.” His tone sounded suspiciously like the tone he’d used when he said he liked to vacuum. Her ears drooped slightly and he continued. “I mean, we can always borrow some of your family’s kits, right?”

Judy was less than reassured, but before she could say anything else, a call came in over her radio. A small prey shop owner had reported a break-in near the Nocturnal District entrance and, due to the size of his shop, had requested Judy and Nick by name.

They looked at each other knowingly; this conversation would have to wait. Nick put on his aviators and tossed the remnants of their lunch in the trash before he hurried to catch up with Judy at the cruiser.

 

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the shop to meet the owner, a mole who sold cell phones and accessories.

“My name is Officer Wilde, and this is Officer Hopps. Can you tell us what happened?”

“Thank you for coming, officers.” The mole led them behind the counter to the back of the shop as he continued speaking. “I was running late this morning… usually I open at ten, but I didn’t get in until eleven. When I got here to open my shop, I discovered the back door had been forced open.”

Judy noted a large footprint on the door, which she took pictures of and measured while Nick continued to question the mole. “And you entered the shop?”

The mole nodded. “I didn’t think to call before I went inside, but I didn’t find anyone, and nothing appears to be missing.”

Nick asked the mole, “Any video footage?”

“Nope, cameras haven’t worked in years.” Judy froze when the mole asked, “You said your last name is Wilde. Do you know a fox named John Wilde?”

Judy shuddered at the icy edge that crept into Nick’s voice. “Yeah, I know him.”

The mole didn’t seem to notice Nick’s tone as he continued. “I sold him a phone, and he used to come by now and then… let’s see, the last time I saw him was probably six or seven years ago. I don’t get many foxes in here, and he was hard to forget.”

After a long pause, Nick said, “Actually, I’ve been investigating a missing mammal case for some time now. John Wilde went missing nearly seven years ago. Would it be possible to see any records you have on him?”

Judy knew that the mole didn’t have to comply with the request, at least not without a warrant, but immediately the mole replied, “Sure! I’m more than happy to help, let me dig through the system for a bit.” Judy got an odd vibe from the mole’s voice, but it could just be her unfamiliarity with his species. She didn’t go down into the Nocturnal District often, and moles tended to avoid venturing to the surface. She listened to Nick ask a few more questions about the break-in as the mole worked on the computer, but she could tell her fox was distracted.

Fifteen minutes later, Nick and Judy had wrapped up and were about to leave when the mole said, “If you ever need a phone, please don’t hesitate to come by. I’ll give you a good deal.” He handed each of them a business card. While Nick and Judy walked towards the front door, he added, “Good luck with the search for the missing fox.”

After they were back in the cruiser, Judy asked, “Did he seem nervous to you?”

Nick shrugged. “He was pretty hard for me to read. Moles tend to have a fairly distinctive scent. Sort of a musty earthy smell that masks their emotions. They tend to be kinda twitchy when they’re topside, though, so it could just be that.”

Judy nodded. “There was a large footprint on the door, probably from a rhino. But there’s no way a large mammal could have fit through the door, so why kick it in?”

“Maybe they had a partner? Or it could just be vandalism, since nothing seemed to be missing.”

Judy pulled into traffic while Nick settled into the passenger seat and started to go through the thick stack of paper the mole had given him.

 

That afternoon back at the precinct, Nick raced through his paperwork before he started following the new leads on his dad’s case. While Judy methodically went through her own paperwork, she grinned as she listened to Nick in the background. He called in favors, did the hustle, and pulled out all the stops as he went after information. Judy was amazed at how he meticulously followed the trail, using every trick to get past even the most stubborn roadblocks. She also realized that his hustling con-mammal methods had started to turn her on. 

Judy heard Nick finish speaking. He hung up the phone and turned to her to say, “You’re killing me over here, Carrots.”

Judy smirked and looked at him mischievously. “Oh whatever do you mean, Officer Wilde?”

Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Tell me, what’s got your motor running all of a sudden?”

Judy glanced at the time on her phone and said, “Wouldn’t you like to know. We need to get home before Hazel drops off the kits.” She stood up and grabbed his arm to playfully pull him away from his desk. “Wow, this is a first. I’m dragging you home, for once.” Judy paused for a moment, and added, “Are you sure you’re ok watching the kits tonight, Nick?”

Nick smirked and strode past her into the hallway. “Sure. Actually, I need the distraction, and you bunnies are great for that. Though if it’s ok with you, could you drive the Carrotmobile tonight?”

Judy scowled at the nickname Nick had for the rusty reddish orange car she drove. When she caught up with him on the stairs, she said, “You know, it’s more fox colored than carrot colored.”

They hurried out the back exit and Nick flicked open his aviators to put them on before he replied, “Yeah, but it’s not handsome enough to be the Foxmobile.”

They began walking to her car and Judy said, “Oh, so you’re saying it is ugly enough to be the Carrotmobile?”

Nick chuckled and replied, “Not everything related to carrots can be as beautiful as you are, Carrots.”

Judy giggled. “Nice save, Slick. How come you want me to drive tonight?”

They both got in and buckled up. Judy started the car and drove towards the street before Nick spoke again. “According to the records the mole gave me, it looks like my dad had an extra cellphone I didn’t know about before. I called the phone company, but they wouldn’t tell me anything without a warrant, though they did helpfully mention that I should call a detective in Northlund. It seems they pulled the records on that number seven years ago.”

“Northlund?” Judy didn’t know much about the province, except that it was in the mountains several hundred miles north of Zootopia.

Nick nodded. “Yep. So I’m hoping the detective will call me back shortly.”

“Why would a detective way up in Northlund-”

She was interrupted when Nick’s phone rang. He looked at it and smiled. “I think we’re about to find out.”

Judy continued to concentrate on driving through the evening traffic while Nick exchanged pleasantries and spoke with the other mammal for a few moments, his jovial demeanor quickly becoming serious.

Nick ended the conversation with, “Yeah, I’ll send over what I’ve got.” He paused for a moment as he listened to the mammal on the phone and then replied, “Great, I appreciate it. I owe you one, big guy.”

Nick hung up the phone and looked somber. “If what the officer just told me is correct, my dad was calling a vixen up there regularly, and it just so happens she was found murdered right before my dad disappeared seven years ago.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Seven small rabbits streamed into the apartment, followed by Hazel carrying a kit and a baby car seat. As Judy hugged Hazel, the baby reached out for her.

Hazel smirked. “Aww, little Carol missed Aunt Judy.”

Judy grabbed the kit and hugged her. “She probably just doesn’t want me to feel left out after barfing on Nick yesterday.”

As Hazel got the kits settled and handed out books and toys, Judy said to Nick, “You can call me or Hazel if anything comes up, ok?”

Nick rolled his eyes. “We’ll be fine. Sheesh Carrots, get going already.”

Hazel smiled at Nick. “Thanks again for watching the kits for me. You bunnies be nice to Uncle Nick, ok?” Seven quiet rabbit kits nodded back in unison.

Judy walked out of the apartment, carrying the baby kit, and Hazel followed with the car seat. Just before Judy closed the door behind them, Nick clapped his paws together and said, “Alright, who wants to go swimming in barbecue sauce?”

Hazel laughed and shook her head as she followed Judy to the parking lot. “For Pete’s sake, tell him not to say something like that in front of Zeke.”

Judy smiled. “I already did, but,” she shrugged. “It’s Nick after all, so no promises.”

Hazel put the car seat in the back of Judy’s car before she turned to take the kit from Judy, who was holding the little rabbit close and sniffing her with her eyes closed.

Judy opened her eyes and returned Hazel’s odd look. “What?”

“Nothing. But you should know, you look like you have a bad case of baby bunny fever.”

Judy rolled her eyes and handed the kit over. She looked back at the apartment building and said, “So, he’s Uncle Nick now, huh? You did this on purpose, didn’t you? Asking Nick to watch the kits.” 

“I figured you’d want to see how he is with kits,” Hazel said as they both climbed into the car and buckled their seatbelts.

“What… why? Even if I could have kits of my own, it isn’t like he and I could have them.”

“You could always adopt. Have you talked to him about adopting?”

Judy huffed and then started the car. “What? No! I mean… we might at some point. But neither one of us is in a position to take care of kits right now. We’re both busy with work. Just the idea of what we’d do for daycare freaks me out.”

“Hah, so you have thought about it!”

Judy carefully pulled into the street. “You’re even worse than Mom.” She was silent for a moment, as she again worried that Nick might want kits of his own someday. She hoped they could finish that conversation later tonight.

Judy mused, “He is really good with the kits though. And I feel like I’m… I dunno, keeping him from having some of his own. He told me today he doesn’t want any. And yet it feels like… what if he’s just telling me what I want to hear? And pushing him seems like a dumb idea. It isn’t like I can give him kits.”

Hazel bit her bottom lip and for a moment looked like she wanted to say something, but she remained quiet.

 

Half an hour later, they drove up a short winding road into a small underground parking lot in the side of a hill. Located on the border of the Rainforest and Canal Districts, the aboveground portion of the warren was a partially renovated five story building, each floor tiered above the next and built into the side of the hill. The building curved around a large shaft that sank out of sight.

After they dropped Carol off at the daycare on the ground floor, Judy and Hazel spent the next few hours exploring. Judy was amazed at the scale of the project. Only the bottom floor of the building and the upper part of the shaft were occupied, filled with the beginnings of a vertical farm, while small apartments and shared living areas had been dug into the hill itself.

Judy and Hazel exited the lower portion of the farm and walked down a large ramp that sloped around the perimeter of the shaft. Judy could hear the sound of rushing water far below while Hazel continued to list the vegetables already in production. “There’s lettuce of course, and bok choi, kale, arugula, radishes...” Judy barely listened to the rest as she looked up the shaft past the farm levels at the hazy blue sky far overhead. Her attention snapped back to Hazel when she said, “There’ll even be some tanks of fish, mostly for fertilizer, but also to sell to predator restaurants.” Hazel chuckled. “Just wait until Dad hears about that.”

Judy craned her neck and tried to see the bottom of the shaft. “How… how in the world did they afford-”

Hazel laughed and interrupted her. “It was an abandoned development that was supposed to be an entrance to the Nocturnal District. Unfortunately for the developer, they tunneled down into the edge of a subterranean cave that is constantly filling with runoff from the Rainforest District.”

Judy leaned against the railing and peered down the shaft and Hazel continued. “That, plus a few other problems, eventually caused the developer to go bankrupt. They couldn’t figure out how to deal with the constant flow of water, which is pretty gross and full of contaminants. Still, one group is working on using it to run a small hydroelectric facility, which would provide nearly all the power for the farms. And below, they’ll capture the water in an artificial marsh to begin the cleanup process, before part of the water is diverted for various aquaculture and hydroponics projects.”

Judy just stood there gaping, her mind struggling to grasp the scope of everything that she’d seen and heard so far.

“That’s part of the reason the board was able to get a good deal on this place. They promised the city to help clean up the mess left by the previous developer.” She looked at her phone, and said, “We can look at more next time. We’d better head back. Zeke will be at your place soon with the van.”

As they retraced their steps up the ramp into the lower farm, Judy said, “How has this place gotten so far along without me hearing about it?”

Hazel shrugged. “The project wasn’t doing much until about eight months ago. They got extra funding from some corporation, and that really got things moving. Heck, even I didn’t realize the full scope of what they were doing, even though Zeke has been working here for six months.” She paused and looked sideways at Judy. “Part of the reason might be the board. They aren’t keen on allowing other species into the warren.”

“Seriously?” Realization slowly dawned on Judy. “You mean, because of Nick and I being an item, our siblings hid this from me?”

Hazel held up her paws. “I don’t know that for sure, but yeah, it’s possible. By the way, it’s not just our siblings working here anymore. It seems our family isn’t the only one in Bunnyburrow worried about dividing a farm two hundred different ways after their parents kick the bucket.”

 

Judy quietly opened the door to the apartment to find Nick seated on the couch surrounded by bunnies. One kit was playing with her fox’s tail, a few others were drawing, while the rest sat, enraptured, while he told them a story. Nick looked up when he heard the door open.

“Ok kits, we’ll finish the story next time.” He stood up, and the bunnies scattered as they swarmed over to hug their mom.

Judy bounded over and kissed Nick. “How did it go?”

“Great! It’s too bad about the story though, we were just getting to the good part where the fox building inspector tells the three little pigs they have to go to court because they didn’t get the proper building permits.”

Judy rolled her eyes and Hazel said, “Did you little buns have fun?”

They all nodded and clamorously agreed they had indeed enjoyed spending time with Uncle Nick.

Nick smiled at the bunnies as they filed out the door after Hazel. “I’ll see you little squirts again soon.”

Judy noticed how happy he looked. Nick closed the door and Judy laughed when she noticed the braids in his tail.

“My my, Mr. Wilde. That’s quite the fancy tail you have there,” she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Nick smirked back at her. “I think… what was her name? The oldest one… Holly. I think she may have a future as a haredresser. Get it, hare-”

Judy’s heart lurched when Nick said the kit’s name. Every time she saw Hazel’s oldest kit, she was reminded of the name she’d wanted to give her own girl kit someday. “Ugh, stop. Yes I get it.” Her voice had a bit more of an edge than she had meant it to, and Nick grew quiet and gave her an odd look. Judy’s ears drooped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out so harsh.” 

Nick walked over and embraced Judy. “You ok?”

Judy smiled up at him sadly. “Yeah, I’m just…” She cast around for an excuse, then settled on, “overwhelmed by the trip to the warren.”

Nick paused for several moments and gazed at her before he hugged her again.

Judy stroked his braided tail and giggled before she said, “When I was a kit, I was so jealous of Wendy Whinnyferd, a horse at my school. I remember wishing I had long hair like her mane and tail.”

“Don’t get too attached to my new look, because you’re gonna help me brush it out in a minute. And just so you know, of all the tails in the world, yours is my favorite.”

Judy blushed and smiled. “Naughty fox.”

Nick let her go and walked towards the bathroom. “So, Carrots, tell me about the warren.”

Judy sat on the couch and said, “I don’t even know where to start, it was amazing!”

After he returned with the brush, they started unbraiding and straightening the fur on Nick’s tail as Judy recounted everything she’d seen.

Twenty minutes later, Judy’s phone rang right when she started describing the mushroom farm being built next to the composting and recycling facilities. It was Zeke, and Judy had never before heard anybunny so angry. Even Nick could hear Zeke, and her fox cringed as he watched Judy’s ears droop lower and lower until she said goodbye and hung up.

“Wow, he’s pissed.” She gave Nick an annoyed look. “Apparently one of the kits showed him a picture she drew of several bunnies swimming in barbecue sauce. He’s headed over here to see if Peggy left her favorite blanket and undoubtedly to yell at me some more.”

“Judy, I’m really sorry.” He sighed. “I meant to ask to keep that drawing for our… err, I mean, to hang on the fridge.” He stood up and grabbed his phone. “I’ll head over to my place, so I don’t get him even more riled up than he is already.”

“Oh Nick, you don’t need--”

Nick held up his paws. “It’s ok, why don’t you call me after and I’ll come back.”

Judy nodded. “That would be great. Go home, water your plants, and I’ll call you in a bit.”

“All of my plants died weeks ago, even the plastic ones. Actually, Zeke did sound pretty angry. Now I’m wondering if I should stay…”

As Nick trailed off uncertainly, Judy realized how torn he was. He wanted to escape the conflict he’d caused, but he also wanted to stay and stand by her. “Silly fox, go on. You’re cute when you’re overprotective.”

Judy couldn’t help but laugh as Nick struck a pouty stance that was all too clearly an exaggerated imitation of her. “You definitely did not just call me cute.”

Nick hopped out of the way as she tried to punch his arm. He always did his best to break the tension with humor, but right now she didn’t want to irritate Zeke even more. “Ok, you look handsome when you’re overprotective. I’ll call you after Zeke leaves.”

A few minutes later, Judy looked out the window and down at Nick on the sidewalk below. He pulled out his phone and held it to his ear before he turned to look up at Judy. Nick smiled and began to wave at her just as a rhino charged out of the darkness and plowed right into him.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Nick didn’t want to leave Judy to deal with Zeke by herself, but given the circumstances, it was probably better if he made himself scarce. As he stepped out of the building onto the sidewalk, his phone rang. Nick didn’t recognize the number, so he tentatively answered with a curt, “Hello?” and looked up to see Judy smiling down at him from her apartment window. He started to wave, his attention split between her and trying to listen to the phone, when a rhino barreled out of the darkness and plowed into him, flattening Nick to the pavement with a sickening crunch.

He nearly blacked out from the impact as he teetered uncertainly on the edge of unconsciousness. Moments later, his head started to clear. He caught his breath and heard Judy ask, “Are you ok, Nick?” Before he could reply, she yelled, “What the hell is wrong with you? Why don’t you watch where you’re going?”

“Miss, I’m sorry, I didn’t see the little guy! You ok, fox?”

Nick felt Judy’s soft paws on his arm and she spoke to the rhino again. “We’re police officers, you know. I should haul your drunk ass down to the station!”

Nick opened his eyes and finally found his voice. “Carrots, it’s ok. I’m ok, it was an accident.” He sat up and looked for his phone. When he found it, he was thankful he hadn’t still been holding the phone when the rhino stepped on it. Nick reached over and picked up the mangled remains and said, “Celly has seen better days, though.”

Judy had been ready to yell at the rhino again, but instead she turned to Nick with a look of confusion on her face. “Celly? Wait, you have a name for your phone?”

Nick poked the power button futilely. “You think I’d let some anonymous stranger sit in my pocket all day?”

Judy stared at Nick for several seconds, before she laughed nervously. Nick smiled at her, amazed at how he could almost always calm her down with his stupid jokes.

The rhino reached down to help Nick up, but the fox waved him off and shakily stood with Judy’s help. The rhino said, “Look, Mack, I’m sorry about your phone. Lemme pay for it-”

Judy interrupted him. “What’s your name?”

One sniff and Nick could tell things were about to escalate. Between Judy undoubtedly considering hauling the rhino in, Zeke arriving at any moment, and his stomach feeling queasy from the smell of booze wafting from the large mammal, Nick just wanted him to leave. The extra fuss and paperwork that dragging him in would entail made Nick groan inwardly, and he just needed to lie down for awhile. “You’re cute when you’re overprotective, Fluff.”

Judy looked at him nervously. “Are you sure you’re ok? Maybe I should take you to the hospital.“

Nick wasn’t a big fan of hospitals, and he didn’t think anything was broken or sprained. He shook his head. “Really, there’s no need, Carrots. The only casualties are my dignity and Celly. I don’t want you to rush your talk with Zeke, and I need to go lie down at my place. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok? Breakfast at the coffeehouse, my treat.”

Judy froze and her ears drooped. The rhino just stood there, peering back and forth between the two smaller mammals with a dumb look on his face.

Judy’s expression tore at Nick. “Oh geez, Fluff.” He pulled her in for a hug before he glanced up at the rhino and shooed him away with one paw as he spoke to him. “Don’t worry about it, I needed a new phone anyway.”

The rhino shrugged. “If I see you again, I’ll make it up to you.” Nick tightened his grip on Judy while the rhino walked away.

 

Twenty minutes later Nick relaxed on his couch, carrot themed ice packs on his left elbow and hip. He was bummed about his mangled phone. Nick hoped he could get a few things recovered from it, most of all the saved message from his mom. It was the last time he’d heard her voice before she’d passed away.

His mind wandered and he started to mull over Judy’s recent obsession with having kits. Nick wasn’t sure how it was with rabbits, but foxes didn’t worry that much about having biological offspring. Though from what Nick could tell, it was pretty obvious rabbits felt differently. And for some reason recently her sister Hazel seemed to be egging her on. Since he and Judy couldn’t have kits, would she want to adopt with a predator? For that matter, did he even want kits? He’d always joked that he was going to avoid messing up his kits by never having any. But he trusted Judy. If it came down to having this discussion, he was sure they could work things out.

As Nick started to drift off to sleep, he thought about the rhino. The mammal had been impossible to read, since the smell of alcohol wafting off of him had been overwhelming. Now that he thought about it, there weren’t any bars in the direction the rhino had come from. Still, maybe he’d just left his or a friend’s house. Something about the encounter with the rhino bothered Nick, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He fell into a deep sleep and dreamt about his mom.

He was a kit again, playing with his mom’s antique hair comb. He listened intently as she read to him, the subtle scent of her floral perfume tickling his nose.

She paused and Nick looked at her face to see tears in her eyes. “You’ve got to go, Nicky. They’re waiting for you.”

Nick stood up and walked to the window to peer out at the backyard, where he could see a celebration of some kind. Their neighbor Rita was there, as well as Clawhauser and several Hopps family rabbits. Nick looked around the backyard until he spotted Judy sitting on the porch swing, crouched over something in her lap. She turned to smile at him, and he saw that she was holding a baby rabbit. Nick turned back to his mom, but she was gone.

“Ma? Ma, where are you? Ma?”

Nick woke up, the words still on his lips. He shuddered, and he could swear he still smelled her perfume lingering in the air.

Tears ran down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and pictured the antique comb his mom used to wear, with its intricate brass filigree surrounding a white stone and an inlaid green heart that matched the color of her eyes. When she read to him, he used to sit next to her and play with it, especially if the book didn’t have any pictures.

He never saw her wear the comb again after his dad left. When Nick cleared out her house he’d hoped to find it, but sadly it never turned up.

His shoulder had started to ache again, so he got up and took some aspirin. He glanced at the clock. 2am. He sighed and started to worry about Judy. Since he probably wouldn’t get back to sleep anytime soon, and he realized he’d left his uniform at her place, he may as well head over to Judy’s apartment.

Fifteen minutes later he was in the park halfway there when he smelled a familiar scent.

“Carrots, what are you doing out here?”

“The same thing you are, I’d imagine. I missed my cuddlefox, and I was worried about you.”

“I’m ok, just a little achy. I’m not gonna admit how much I missed my cuddlebunny, though.”

Judy chuckled. “And of course you forgot your uniform at my place…”

Nick laughed. “Clever bunny. Or you would be, if you’d brought our uniforms with you.”

Even in the dim light, he could see her smile and bite her bottom lip. Judy grabbed his paw. “Guess you’ll just have to come back home with me then.”

Nick liked that and realized he had started to think of her place as home. “You are a clever bunny. So, how did the talk--”

Judy shook her head. “Later. Let’s get to bed.”

“My my, Miss Hopps. So forward-” His mouth snapped shut when she abruptly yanked him towards her apartment.

 

The next day, Nick tried to stay awake as he sat in the cruiser with Judy while they waited for their afternoon patrol to end. They were both exhausted, and had arrived late to headquarters that morning where they spent several hours trying to finish their backlog of paperwork. At lunch Nick had taken the cruiser to pay a quick visit to the mole. There hadn’t been anything more to discuss with the small mammal, but Nick decided picking out a new phone was better than trying to slog through more boring paperwork.

Nick yawned and shook himself awake before he pulled out his new phone, which drew a puzzled look from Judy. “Seriously Nick, an orange iCarrot phone?”

Nick grinned as he fiddled with the device. “Guess what I named it?”

She laughed and looked out her window. “I don’t wanna know.”

“Oh come on Fluff. Guess.” He knew he’d wear her down, and eventually she’d be begging for him to tell her, if only to stop him from bugging her about it. He actually hadn’t thought of a name for his phone, but he figured she’d come up with a few good ideas once she gave in and started guessing.

Instead, Judy teased, “Well, at least it’s a step up from that old piece of junk you used to have.” She continued to silently look out her window for a few moments at a nearby park where children were playing. “Learn anything new from the mole?”

“Nope. I just asked him a few more questions about the break-in and if he’d found anything else on my dad, but no new clues in either case.” Nick sighed. “The Northland precinct is taking their sweet time getting the file together for me. I wonder if I should get Chief Buffalo Butt involved.”

Judy’s ears shot up. “Oh, that reminds me. My parents are coming into town early for the Generations Day celebration this weekend. I already asked the Chief for time off so I could meet them at the train station tomorrow morning.”

NIck grinned. “Generations Day…. is that the bunny fertility holiday?” Judy turned and scowled at him. Nick knew what was coming and flattened himself against the passenger door as she flailed out and tried to punch him in the arm. “Hey there, mean bunny.” He raised his paws placatingly. “Seriously, though, I’m not sure I understand it.”

Judy rolled her eyes and thought for a moment. “It’s sort of like Mother’s and Father’s Day rolled together, except it celebrates the birth of a couple’s first grandkit.” She paused and added, “We don’t really celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Days like most other mammals.”

Nick nodded. “I guess it would be rough for all bunnies to celebrate family holidays on the same day. I’m trying to imagine what it would be like taking your mom out to dinner in Bunnyburrow along with thousands of other rabbits on Mother’s Day.”

Judy giggled. “You’re probably right.” She paused and looked out the window again. “I guess it must seem weird that all the bunny holidays focus on, well… “ She trailed off.

“Continuing the species?”

She nodded and her ears drooped. “Yeah, something like that.”

Nick fidgeted with his new phone for a minute, before he said, “Look, I know we agreed not to bring up serious discussions in the car, but lately… well, you’ve been acting weird, and sometimes you seem sad around your sister’s kits. Talk to me, Carrots.”

She turned and smiled at Nick wanely. “We do need to talk. It seems like things keep getting in the way, huh?” Judy took a deep breath and looked down at her paws. “The sad stuff… it’s mostly when I see her oldest kit. I never told anyone before, but I’d hoped to name my first girl kit Holly.”

Nick considered her words for a moment before he said quietly, “Judy, I’m so sorry.” He hesitated, then reached over and pulled her into a hug.

She shrugged, her voice muffled by his chest as she hugged him back and said, “It’s ok, you couldn’t have known.” She held him for a few more seconds and then gently pulled away. “Alright, we better not get carried away while we’re on duty.”

They moved apart and Nick said, “How about you and I go out someplace nice? Just you and me, so we’ll have time to talk and no one can interrupt us.”

Judy looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Yesterday I had to drag you away from work, and today you want to take me out to dinner and talk about your feelings.”

“I know, I’ve gone completely insane.” Nick waggled his eyebrows. “Madly, passionately, crazy-”

Judy laughed and looked out the window again. “Ok ok, I get it. Did you have a place in mind?”

“Yeah, I’m thinking Antonio’s.”

“Ohhh, fancy. Actually, could we go there tomorrow, and take my parents? They don’t get to eat out at nice restaurants often. Besides, you don’t have to take me someplace fancy just to talk.”

Nick hesitated. “I guess I can’t hide from your dad forever.”

“Don’t worry about him, he’s really a big softie. Just find something in common with him. Mom already likes you, and he’ll come around.”

Nick couldn’t think of a single thing he and her dad might have in common, but he nodded anyway. “Ok, we can go to Antonio’s tomorrow, but only if you wear that teal dress.”

Judy looked at him and grinned. “Sly fox. We’ll see if it still fits.”

 

When Nick and Judy walked into the lobby of headquarters at the end of their shift, they noticed Clawhauser with a worried look on his face as he frantically waved to get their attention. They stepped up to his desk and he asked, “Did you see today’s newspaper?”

Clawhauser held up a copy of the  _ Zootopia Gossip _ , and Nick groaned. “The ZG isn’t a newspaper, Spots. It’s full of everything no real newspaper would bother printing.”

The cheetah spoke, his face suddenly serious. “I only read it for the Gazelle articles.” He opened it to the middle of the paper and pointed. Nick and Judy stepped closer to see a picture of them from the previous evening. Nick was stretched out on the pavement and she was standing over him, with the headline,  _ Bunny Assaults Fox Boyfriend _ .” The first line of the article continued,  _ Does dating a predator make you more aggressive? _

Nick snorted derisively and Judy huffed angrily.

Clawhauser spoke again. “Is this true? Tell me it isn’t true.”

Nick smirked. “Well, she does hit me in the arm all the-- OW.”

Judy scowled and looked like she was going to punch Nick again, but instead grabbed the newspaper and began to read the article. “How can they print these lies? You can’t even see the rhino that knocked Nick down.”

Clawhauser looked puzzled. “Why did a rhino knock Nick down?”

Nick, still rubbing his arm, quickly snarked, “Probably because I didn’t have my mean bunny girlfriend there to protect me.”

Judy continued to study the paper and said, “Nick, take this seriously.” She looked up at the worried cheetah. “Don’t worry Clawhauser, I haven’t beaten up Nick.” She handed the paper back and glared at Nick. “Yet.”

Nick spoke as he and Judy walked towards the exit. “Don’t worry, Fluff. No one reads that garbage.” He looked over his shoulder. “Well, I guess Clawhauser does, but no one will take it seriously.”

Judy looked pensive for a moment. “Who do you think took the picture?”

Nick shrugged. “I’m not sure, but it reeks of that scumbag paparazzi photographer, Ron Marmota. I’ve caught him following me around a few times since I first started at the ZPD. I haven’t seen him in a long time, though.”

“Wow, not a big fan, huh Slick? Why was he following you?”

Nick put on his aviators as they walked outside. “Most likely because I’m a shifty no good predator, like the ones in all the photos he sells to lowbrow tabloids like ZG.”

 

Later that evening, Judy lay sprawled out next to Nick on the couch, asleep. He channel surfed with the remote in one paw while he gently stroked her ears with the other.

Finally settling on a cooking show, Nick closed his eyes and smiled. He still couldn’t believe how well their conversation about moving in together had gone, and the relief they’d both felt afterward. He’d been nervous as he tried to start the discussion until Judy simply blurted out that she thought they should move in together. They still had to work out the logistics, as well as lay some ground rules, but he was actually excited about the prospect of living with her officially. Neither of them was keen on staying where they were, and Judy had mentioned finding someplace near the new warren, which suited him just fine. They agreed to talk about it more once Nick found his lease paperwork.

The conversation about kits was more awkward. After a few minutes, they both decided to table the discussion for now, since neither of them honestly knew what they wanted. Judy had no clue why her sister Hazel was acting oddly. They would just have to wait and see if they could find out what was going on with her this weekend.

Nick wondered again if he would be a terrible parent. As he drifted off to sleep, Nick did realize one thing: if he ever raised kits with another mammal, he wouldn’t want to do it with anyone but Judy.

***

Some days Chief Bogo would yell at Nick so loudly, the fox was amazed the water buffalo didn’t have a stroke. The next day, as Nick stepped through the front door of ZPD headquarters to find the Chief waiting for him in the lobby, Nick discovered that unfortunately this was one of those days.


	5. Chapter 5

At first, Nick wasn’t sure what Chief Bogo was angry about when he walked through the front door of ZPD headquarters and found the buffalo yelling at Clawhauser in the lobby. The cheetah cowered behind his desk as the Chief screamed something about not coming forward sooner. Then Nick noticed the angry buffalo was waving a copy of the ZG in Clawhauser’s face. When Bogo stopped to take a breath, Nick walked up behind him and said, “Chief, I had no idea you were an avid reader of the  _ Zootopia Gossip _ , celebrity news for herd and home.” The fox knew not every mammal appreciated his humor like Judy did, but he just couldn’t help himself. Besides, someone needed to rescue Clawhauser from the Chief’s wrath.

The buffalo slowly turned to loom over Nick and silently glared down at him. It took every ounce of willpower the fox had to keep from flinching under the Chief’s withering gaze. From experience, Nick knew the only thing worse than Bogo shouting was when he was motionless and silent. Deep down the fox was fairly certain that at times like this, the Chief was contemplating ways of dealing with him that would leave permanent stains in the carpet.

After a few awkward moments, Chief Bogo slowly raised his arm to point upstairs. He bellowed, “I don’t, but someone in the mayor’s office does. My office. Now.”

Several minutes later, when Nick was seated in the chair in Bogo’s office while the Chief towered over him, the buffalo straightened out the paper and angrily jabbed at the headline:  _ Hanky Panky or Predator Sexual Harassment? _ above a picture of Nick hugging Judy in their patrol car.

Nick shook his head as he spoke. “Our relationship is consens--”

Bogo cut him off. “SHUT. IT. I know it’s consensual, because she’d kick your head off if it wasn’t.” Somehow the Chief’s voice went up a few decibels when he said, “I can’t believe the avalanche of mayhem you’ve brought down on my desk. I explicitly warned both of you what would happen if you made this a problem.”

The buffalo paused to lean back against his desk and massage his temples for a few seconds before he spoke again in a voice that was only slightly less thunderous. “The mayor wants me to put you both on administrative leave, but I convinced him to wait until next week so I could speak with both of you first. Since you’re off this weekend anyway, add three more days. Go chase down leads on the missing mammal case, go play hopscotch in the park, I don’t care, just get the hell out of my office and try--” He paused and took a breath, the look on his face pleading. Speaking as if to a child, he continued, “Try not to embarrass the ZPD any more than you have already.”

Bogo started to walk around his desk to sit when Nick said, “Speaking of the missing mammal case,” the buffalo froze, and the fox paused to swallow nervously. Nick looked briefly at the pulsing vein on Bogo’s forehead before he continued. “I still haven’t received the case file from Northlund.”

The Chief closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.” Bogo rolled up the newspaper he was holding, and for a moment Nick thought the buffalo was going to swat him on the nose with it, but instead he held it out. In an almost normal voice, he said, “Give this back to Clawhauser on your way out.”

 

Forty minutes later, Nick sat alone on the couch in his apartment. He was not looking forward to talking to Judy about the fallout from the latest ZG article. Nick sighed and decided maybe it would be best to broach the subject with a text:

 

_ You busy? Bogo told me I could go home early and that I should stay out until next week _

 

A minute later, she responded:

 

_ Just waiting for the train why did he send you home? _

 

But now that Nick thought about it, he felt that perhaps he should wait to tell her. He didn’t want to stress Judy out right before her parents arrived. Besides, this was probably a conversation they should have face to face.

 

He texted back:

 

_ Something about me being extra annoying when you weren’t around? _

 

Nick imagined her rolling her eyes and grinned. He knew he had to come up with something to divert the conversation, and since Judy had asked him to find common ground with her dad, he sent:

 

_ Does your dad like jazz or poker? _

 

Nick knew that teasing was always a good way to distract her. A few seconds later she texted back:

 

_ No but he likes folk music and cribbage and whittling. =:-) _

 

Now it was Nick’s turn to roll his eyes. He replied:

 

_ Maybe I’ll use zoogle and find out what whittling is before tonight _

 

He paused and added:

 

_ I love you carrots see you at dinner _

 

A few seconds later, his phone dinged and he read her reply:

 

_ Love you too slick _

 

Nick knew he’d taken the coward’s way out. Trying to take his mind off of his worries, he sat at the table where he’d left his old broken phone. Nick idly played with the phone as he thought about what he could do to recover his mom’s last voicemail. He decided to take it to headquarters next week and see if their tech nerd, a raccoon named Aurora, could get anything off of it. Nick might even have her install a few ZPD apps on his new phone that Judy had been pestering him about.

 

That evening Nick arrived at Antonio’s early. He checked his coat and was debating whether or not to get a drink at the bar when he noticed Judy coming out of the bathroom. He grinned and looked at her through half-lidded eyes. “Carrots, I’ve got to say, you look amazing in that dress.”

Nick was glad she’d worn the teal dress he’d always liked, since he’d bought a matching teal tie to go with his gray dinner jacket. She smiled and appreciatively eyed his new ensemble before she spoke. “I wasn’t sure if it covered the scars on my leg. You can’t see them, can you?” A mischievous gleam in her eye, she turned so he could see the back of her left leg. Nick studiously avoided looking at her tail and slowly leaned over to get a closer look when she spoke again as if reading his mind. “And don’t just stand there ogling my butt. Tell me if you can see the scars.” 

Nick was trying to choose between several snarky responses when he was startled by someone clearing their throat. He turned to see Bonnie and Stu standing just inside the front door of the restaurant.

Nick barely recognized Stu, who looked uncomfortable wearing a well-worn suit that hadn’t been in style since sometime before Nick was born. The buck started to reach up to nervously touch the slicked back fur on his head when Bonnie elbowed him and nodded her head at the coatroom attendant. Stu hurriedly helped Bonnie out of her coat before he removed his own and reluctantly handed them over to be checked.

Bonnie stepped forward and hugged Judy while Nick shook Stu’s hand. The older doe said, “It’s so good to see you, bun bun.” Nick smirked at the nickname and Judy cast him an annoyed look before Bonnie moved to hug Nick and Judy embraced her dad. The fox was surprised at the waves of scent rolling off both the older rabbits. He realized that Stu in particular was extremely uncomfortable as they all stood awkwardly for a moment before the gazelle hostess showed them to their table.

Nick stepped forward and pulled out the chair for Judy, who remarked, “Such a gentelfox this evening.” Stu noticed what Nick had done, so he rushed over to do the same for Bonnie, who had just started to seat herself. The older doe almost fell over when her husband unexpectedly pulled the chair out for her, but she quickly recovered and smiled at Stu reassuringly.

Nick thought back to what Judy was like the first time they had come here. She’d been impressed by the fancy chandeliers, wood paneling, and small artfully presented food portions. He remembered she’d said it was the most beautiful restaurant she’d ever seen, and after seeing the restaurants in Bunnyburrow, Nick could understand why the older Hopps rabbits felt out of their element. He kept his face impassive as Stu started to put his elbows on the table before Bonnie gave him a disapproving look. The buck sat bolt upright in his chair and Bonnie smiled at him again. She reached out and held her husband’s paw.

It wasn’t often that Nick saw Bonnie and Stu interact, just the two of them, since he had rarely seen them together when he’d visited Bunnyburrow. They were always so busy keeping the farm running, and they had so many kits to care for.

Nick cleared his throat. “So, how was your trip, Mr. and Mrs. Hopps?”

Both rabbits were quick to correct him, asking him to call them by name, but Nick barely heard them. Since he always sat facing the door out of habit, Nick was the first to notice the disturbance at the front entrance. A woodchuck wearing a lime green blazer and carrying a camera was arguing with the hostess, but the gazelle wouldn’t let him into the dining area.

Nick groaned when he realized who the woodchuck was. “Great, it’s Ron Marmota.”

Judy glanced at the disturbance before turning to her parents. “He’s some jerk who’s been stalking Nick and taking pictures for some horrible newspaper called the Zootopia Gossip.”

Nick said idly, “Should I go bite him?”

All three rabbits gave him odd looks, though Judy had a half smile on her face.

Nick turned to smirk at the rabbits. “What? I’m just kidding. Besides, I bet he tastes terrible.”

Stu had a stricken look on his face, but Bonnie giggled nervously and Judy shook her head. She smiled at her parents and said, “He’s just kidding, Dad.” She turned to look at Nick. “He might not be here looking for you. Who knows what other mammals he stalks regularly.”

Nick looked around and realized that there were only a few other predators in the restaurant. “Maybe, but I doubt it.”

A burly tiger stepped out of the kitchen behind the woodchuck, who flinched away in surprise. The hostess pointed at the door and the tiger grabbed Marmota’s arm before firmly pulling him out of the restaurant.

Bonnie cleared her throat and said, “Oh, that reminds me. I saw Miss Gulch at the train station in Bunnyburrow, and she gave me a copy of the newspaper you mentioned.”

Judy grumbled, “It figures that old busybody would read that garbage.”

Nick froze as he watched Bonnie dig through her purse while she spoke. “She mentioned something about an article in the paper that I’d find interesting.”

Nick was grateful when Bonnie was distracted by the waiter, who had arrived to take their order. After the waiter left, Bonnie asked how things went when Nick had watched Hazel’s kits. Nick’s stomach clenched and he realized he should have gotten a drink at the bar after all because this was shaping up to be a long night.

As Judy fumbled around to answer her mom’s question, Nick decided it would be a good idea to talk about almost anything else. “So, Mr. Hopps, what do you think of the new warren?”

The buck’s eyes lit up and he smiled. “Please Nick, I mean it. You can call me Stu.” Nick nodded, and the rabbit continued. “I have to say, the way they’re running the place isn’t what I’m used to. All those newfangled growing techniques and machines.” Stu paused and scratched his neck nervously. “I’m not too sure about letting a big corporation have so much say in the way things are run is a good idea, though.”

Nick sighed with relief when Stu continued to talk about the warran all through dinner. The fox smiled and nodded his head at the appropriate times, and was glad to see that Judy had Bonnie similarly engaged in a conversation about her siblings that had moved to Zootopia to work at the new warren.

Eventually, the conversation died down as they waited for their dessert and Bonnie remembered the newspaper. Nick heard Stu mention something about a family camping trip. The fox watched in horror while Bonnie again started to dig through her purse.

Nick blurted out, “I love camping.”

Bonnie paused to look up in surprise as Stu and Judy said, “Really?” at the same time.

Nick had no idea why he’d said it, so he backpedaled a bit. “Well, I mean I would love to go camping. I’ve always wanted to go camping. Ever since I was a kit.” Which was at least partially true. It was one of the reasons he’d wanted to be a Ranger Scout, after all. Though the idea of wandering off into the woods hadn’t crossed his mind in decades.

Bonnie glanced at Stu, who looked uncomfortable, and Judy said in an excited voice, “I think you should take Nick this year, don’t you, Dad?” Stu’s quiet affirmation was much less enthusiastic.

When the check arrived, Stu reached for it, but Nick snatched it away. The buck frowned and said, “How about I arm wrestle you for it?”

Judy huffed. “Seriously Dad? Besides, you’re our guests tonight.”

Stu crossed his arms. “I’ll arm wrestle you too, you know. Don’t think I won’t.”

Nick noticed Judy’s ears had turned bright red and could tell by her scent that she was embarrassed. She fumbled with words briefly before Nick said,  “Mr. Hopps,” he paused when the rabbit gave him an odd look. “I mean… Stu, I already made arrangements to pay when I booked the reservations. And Judy’s right, dinner is on us.”

When Bonnie and Judy got up to go to the washroom, Nick respectfully stood as well, as did Stu after he belatedly realized what was happening. While the two does made their way across the restaurant, Nick and Stu sat down again and traded awkward looks in silence for several moments. Nick tried to think of something to talk about, eventually deciding he should ask the buck about whittling, when Stu stammered out, “What are your intentions towards my daughter?”

Nick was caught off guard, and he started to snarkily reply that his intentions were undoubtedly no different than those Stu had towards Bonnie before they were married, but when the fox saw the serious look on the older rabbit’s face he paused. Several awkward moments passed and Nick finally replied, “I care for your daughter in a way I’ve never cared for any other mammal before.” He looked at his paws on the table and continued in a quiet voice. “She really brings out the best in me.”

Nick was thankful when the waiter arrived with the receipt and their boxes of leftovers. Stu and Nick sat quietly until Judy and Bonnie came back to the table and all four mammals made their way to the exit.

 

Nick needed some time to himself, so he convinced Judy to drop him off at her apartment before she took her parents to the warren. Nick was already in bed when Judy came back a few hours later.

She spoke to him from the bathroom while she got ready for bed. “I totally forgot about the camping trip my dad goes on around this time every year. Smooth move getting in on that, Slick. Mom likes you, and dad will come around. Besides, you’re at a dead end with the missing mammal case until the paperwork arrives from Northlund, right?”

“I guess it won’t be too bad if you’re there.”

She poked her head out of the bathroom and looked at the fox. “Uhh sorry Nick, I have to stay here and help get the warren ready for this weekend. But you should go, you’ll have fun. A little bonding time with my dad would be great, right?” She ducked out of sight and Nick heard her speaking again from the bathroom. “My mom thought it was cute how you kept looking at me all night, though it took me awhile to explain to her why you were staring at my butt when they came in the door. I still haven’t told them about the scars yet.”

Nick hadn’t even realized he’d been looking at Judy at dinner, but he smiled when he remembered how beautiful she’d looked in the dress. Judy continued talking about her parents while Nick tried to figure out the best way to discuss why Bogo had sent him home earlier.

Judy came back into the bedroom, dressed in an oversized ZPD t-shirt. She turned off the light before she dove onto the bed, and Nick laughed when she cuddled up next to him. He hugged her and was silent, his mind a jumble as he continued to worry about the conversation he knew they should have. But again Nick avoided talking about the article and instead joked, “Your dad looked really uncomfortable wearing something besides bib overalls.”

Judy nodded. “I guarantee he didn’t wear that suit willingly.” She bit her bottom lip and scrunched up her nose. “Ok, you’ve been way quieter than usual tonight, so I know something’s bothering you.”

Nick swallowed uncomfortably, knowing where this was headed. His mind raced as he tried to think of something to say, and he cringed when he blurted out, “I want what your parents have.”

She smiled and gave him a puzzled look. “A carrot farm?”

Nick laughed. “Yeah, that’s it, Fluff.” He cupped the side of her face and said, “Someday I hope you look at me like your mom looks at your dad.” 

Even in the dark, her eyes shone and Nick could see her smile, the one that always made his heart flutter. Judy hugged him tightly and said, “Aww, you big sap.”

They held each other as Nick tried to work up the courage to talk to Judy about the article, but she fell asleep before he could. He too began to drift off, and Nick wondered at how distracted he’d been all day. Worst of all, Nick was annoyed that he hadn’t talked to Judy about the ZG article. He finally decided he would bring it up first thing tomorrow.

However, when he woke up the next morning, Nick quickly realized he shouldn’t have put off the discussion after he heard Judy talking to her mom in the living room.


	6. Chapter 6

Nick could tell Judy and Bonnie were trying to speak quietly, but even so, he could hear them clearly through the closed door. He briefly considered escaping out the bedroom window when he heard Judy say, “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me about this yesterday.” 

There was silence for a few moments, until Bonnie replied, “Maybe you should wait until he comes back from camping before you discuss this.”

“What? Why?”

“For the same reason he didn’t bring it up. He didn’t want you to worry about it all weekend.”

“Mom, that’s really dumb.”

“Honey, I understand how you feel. Your dad does this every now and then too, and it irritates me. But there isn’t anything you can do about the article right now, is there? He’s just trying--”

“Seriously? Mom, I’ve been lied to and cheated on in relationships before--”

Bonnie replied in a scolding voice, “Judy, it isn’t like he’s being unfaithful--”

Nick could tell things were escalating, so he decided he’d eavesdropped long enough. He took a deep breath and put on his cheesiest grin before he opened the bedroom door. “Good morning Mrs. Hopps and Car--”

Judy scowled and interrupted him. “We need to talk.”

Bonnie huffed at Judy and smiled at the fox. “Good morning, Nick.” She gave him a sympathetic look as her daughter dragged him back into the bedroom.

Nick was surprised at Judy’s scent, an odd mixture of anger and sadness that was unfamiliar to him.  He didn’t have long to contemplate Judy’s emotional state before she closed the door and said, “Cripes Nick, it would’ve been nice if you’d warned me about the latest ZG article before we sat down to dinner last night. We could’ve discussed it then, instead of my mom seeing it in the paper later and my dad freaking out.”

“Come on Fluff, it’s not--”

Judy shook her head. “Please just listen, Nick.” She sighed, a glum look on her face. “I get it, I know you tend to avoid tough conversations. But I need to know what Chief Bogo said about the ZG article.”

Nick shrugged. “Not much. He wanted to put me on administrative leave but sent me home instead. And we’ll probably get a friendly visit from the folks at Internal Affairs on Monday.” He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you sooner, Judy.”

“Look, I don’t want to end things on a bad note before you leave for a few days.”

Nick put on his smarmiest smile and opened his arms wide. No matter how pissed she got, he knew she had a hard time resisting the offer of a hug, and sure enough she rolled her eyes and stepped forward to embrace him.

Her voice was slightly muffled by his chest. “You might want to put some pants on before you go back into the living room.”

Nick chuckled. “So your mom doesn’t appreciate the carrot boxers you got me?”

Judy peered up at him with a serious look on her face. “I’m sorry I got so bent out of shape. How about I make it up to you?”

He knew she probably meant something breakfast related, but he couldn’t help but tease her. “Ok, if you think you can be quiet.” Judy gave him a puzzled look, and he continued. “You know, because your mom’s in the other room--”

Judy spent the next few moments noisily chasing the laughing fox around the room as she tried to punch him, until her mom knocked on the door and asked if everything was okay.

 

Nick fiddled with the straps on the backpack while he nervously watched the crowd of rabbits waiting for the bus to take them to the woods. The Hopps family had already packed Judy’s backpack for her, so all Nick had to do was add some of his clothes and he was ready to go. The pack was a bit small for the fox, but it would fit after a few adjustments.

Nick pulled on the pack and watched Judy speak to her parents before she bounded over to him and said, “Try not to, uhh--”

He interrupted her. “Make your dad hate me more than he does already?”

Judy sighed. “He doesn’t hate you.” She smirked and continued, “And I was going to say, try not to die in the woods, Mr. City Fox.”

Nick laughed. He looked at Bonnie and Hazel, both of whom whispered to their husbands before the bucks turned to look nervously at him. “Great, they’re getting nagged to be nice to me.”

Judy followed his gaze and said, “I know it’s hard, but try to be patient with them, especially Zeke.”

Nick smirked. “Oh, so now you’re nagging me?”

Judy chuckled and shook her head as she adjusted the straps on his backpack. “Not nagging. More like begging.” She finished tightening the last strap and patted his chest. “There.”

She took a step back and bit her bottom lip as she looked him up and down appraisingly. Judy started to speak, but Nick cut her off when he picked up on her scent and waggled his eyebrows. “Like what you see, bun bun? I know I cut quite the rugged and dashing figure.” Judy rolled her eyes just as Peggy came running up to Nick, her arms outstretched. He hugged the little bunny and said, “Hey squirt, are you coming too?”

Peggy nodded enthusiastically and Hazel walked over carrying a small carrot-shaped backpack. “She insisted on coming when she found out you were going. Can you help Zeke keep an eye on her?” Hazel laughed as she tried to put the backpack on the kit, who was bouncing around excitedly. “Hold still, you little stinker, while I put this on you.”

The bus from the new warren arrived. Nick loaded his pack into the back of the bus before he hugged Judy goodbye. He boarded the bus and nodded at the driver, an older black and white doe with the biggest buck teeth he’d ever seen. Nick chose a seat near the front, a few rows back from Stu.

As Nick settled in, he saw a young buck in the seat in front of Stu staring at him. The small rabbit noticed the fox and stuck out his tongue. Nick started to respond by making a weird face which Stu almost saw when the older buck turned to look in his direction.

As Stu started to lecture everyone in earshot about staying safe in the woods by not straying off the trail or eating plants they might find, Nick was distracted by Peggy when she bounced down the aisle and sat next to him. Zeke, who had been following behind the little bunny, scowled and hesitated briefly before he walked past them. The scent of anger and another negative emotion Nick couldn’t identify rolled off the buck and made him cringe.

Moments later, the bus pulled into the street and headed for the edge of town. Nick closed his eyes and smiled. Unlike Zeke’s scent, Nick recognized Peggy’s happy scent as she quietly played with toys and crayons that she passed back and forth among the other kits. 

Nick pondered the mysterious bunny scents that he’d come across that day. What was the scent from Zeke? When he’d first met the buck, he had smelled like anger and fear. But lately Nick noticed Zeke didn’t flinch away from him like some prey animals did, so the new scent didn’t seem to be fear. Anger and sadness maybe? It was some nuanced smell, and now that Nick thought about it, it reminded him of the scent he’d gotten from Judy earlier that day, which was odd.

Even though he spent plenty of time around Judy and her family, he still had trouble deciphering some of the rabbit scents. Like some of Judy’s more amorous emotions, whatever this one was, it produced a scent different enough from the analogous fox smell that it wasn’t clear to him what emotion it represented. Judy hated that Nick could read her scent most of the time, though it wasn’t always clear to him exactly what she was feeling.

Thinking about Judy made him realize he already missed her. Since Nick had brought his phone, and they were already well outside the city, he decided he should turn it off to conserve the battery. But before he did, he teased Judy one last time:

_ About to turn off my phone. Texting you from the last place I have cell service, so you know where to start searching for my body. _

 

After Nick and the rabbits unloaded the bus and made their way to the trailhead, Stu took a deep breath and made a satisfied noise and said, “Just smell that clean air.”

Nick took a deep breath and sneezed loudly, which elicited a laugh from all the rabbits crowded around him, except Zeke.

Peggy lagged behind as she stopped to examine every bug, mushroom, and flower that caught her eye. Nick sauntered along beside her, determined to keep an eye on her while enjoying the scenery. He was surprised at the wide range of new smells in the air, and he had to admit that the fall leaves looked amazing.

The rest of the rabbits were spread out along the trail ahead of Nick, with Stu and Zeke in the lead. The fox noticed a few times that Zeke paused as if to wait for Peggy, but Stu seemed to be encouraging him to stay up front.

The path forward got steeper, and the trail began switching back and forth to make the ascent easier. After they had been walking for almost half an hour, Nick noticed he and Peggy were far enough behind that the closest rabbit disappeared out of sight, so he decided the best way to catch up was to cut straight up the side of the hill to the path above, instead of following the switchback. He picked up Peggy and waded into the waist-deep brush as he trudged uphill towards the place the last rabbit had disappeared.

Nick got halfway to the trail before he realized he’d made a terrible mistake.


	7. Chapter 7

 

Several Hopps rabbits pulled out folding knives and opened them as they advanced on Nick. The fox backed up, ears flat against his head and his paws raised placatingly. “There has got to be a better way to handle this.”

Stu shook his head. “Sorry Nick. Just hold still so we can get this over with.”

A few rabbits picked burrs off of Nick’s shorts while the rest focused on different parts of his tail and legs. One young bunny said, “This is why Grampa Stu told us to stay on the trail,” and a few rabbits snickered.

Stu tried to provide a distraction as the rabbits worked. “At least you managed to keep Peggy out of the stickers.” Nick looked over to see Zeke carefully inspecting the little rabbit’s legs and feet.

Ten minutes later they were walking again. Nick sighed after he examined what was left of his summer coat one last time and jogged to catch up. At least he’d only be a patchy mess until his new winter fur grew in. 

Later, as they drew close to their destination, they passed by a camp where Nick saw a huge brown bear sitting in front of a fire. The bear waved, but Nick was the only one who seemed to notice, so the fox tentatively waved back.

Several minutes later, they stopped in a large clearing not far from a shimmering lake. The swarm of bunnies quickly raised eight tents, as well as gathered wood and water. Nick mostly felt superfluous, but he tried to lend a paw when he could. After dinner and a few rounds of roasted marshmallows, Peggy crawled up on the log next to Nick and insisted that he read to her. She gave him the first book,  _ Goodnight Moon _ .

One nearby young bunny looked over and sneered, “That book is for babies.”

Peggy pouted at the other kit and Nick examined the cover. “Huh, the author has the same name as you do, Peggy.”

The small rabbit smiled and nodded. “Mama said this book is her favorite, so she named me Margaret.”

“How about you read it to me, and I’ll read the next one.” The bunny nodded enthusiastically and began to quietly read aloud.

When Peggy finished reading, Nick stretched and said, “Whew, you did a great job. I’m ready for bed now.”

Peggy pouted and said, “Aww, you promised you’d read to me.”

Nick grinned and picked up the second book:  _ Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories _ by Dr. Moose. As he read the tale of faraway Sala-ma-Sond aloud, a few other kits and even some of the older rabbits showed interest and moved closer to listen. By the time Nick made it to the tale of Gertrude McFuzz, he smiled inwardly at the number of bunnies that had gathered around. Finally, Nick’s imitation of the worm as he spoke to the rabbit and the bear had most of the campsite in stitches.

Peggy yawned, and Nick tousled the fur between her ears. “Goodnight, squirt.” Peggy hugged the fox and grabbed her books before she ran off to find her dad. Nick decided it was probably time for him to turn in too. He approached Stu and tentatively asked, “So uhh… where are the facilities?” 

The buck looked confused for a moment before he realized what Nick was asking him. “Just head straight uphill thataway,” Nick looked in the direction he pointed, “until you see the log with a shovel next to it. And if you want to wash up, the lake is the other way.” Stu reached into a nearby backpack and handed Nick a roll of toilet paper. “Don’t get lost.”

Nick wandered off into the dark. A faint smell of something cooking carried on the breeze, and he realized what it was. He’d eaten fish a few times, but hadn’t really been fond of the taste. Nick figured the smell was probably coming from the nearby bear camp.

The fox stepped into a clearing and gawked at the night sky for a few minutes before he continued up the hill.

 

The next morning, Nick woke up shivering. Last night he’d discovered that Judy’s sleeping bag only came up to just above his waist, and even with his jacket wrapped around his torso it had been a cold and uncomfortable night. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and listened while two younger rabbits argued outside his tent.

“Grampa Stu said we had to stay in camp until he and Uncle Zeke came back.”

“But we should go after Peggy.”

Nick jerked fully awake when he heard the last part. He struggled to get out of the sleeping bag and opened the zipper on the tent while the rabbits continued to argue, until Nick crawled out of the tent and asked, “What’s going on out here?” About a half dozen young rabbits started speaking at once. Nick grew worried after noticing the gray storm clouds that had rolled in overnight. He turned back to the confused jumble of rabbits and held up his paw before asking in a loud voice, “Where did Peggy go?”

The panicked gabbling stopped and two of the rabbits tentatively pointed. Nick said, “Okay, all of you rabbits wait here, and I’ll go find her.”

He ran a few dozen yards into the woods in the direction the rabbits had pointed and shouted, “Peggy!” He listened, but couldn’t hear a reply. Nick hated what he had to do next, but he didn’t have a choice. Feeling like a primitive savage, Nick knelt and sniffed around until he picked up Peggy’s scent.

As fat water droplets started to splash on the ground, Nick decided he’d better hurry. He dropped to all fours so he could track her scent better. Nick shivered and wished he’d thought to bring his jacket. A few minutes later the rain picked up, and he was beginning to worry the scent would get washed away when he found Peggy, who was crouched down and crying under a tree.

“Hey kiddo, what’s--” The little rabbit hopped into his arms and hugged him. He held her for a few moments as she sobbed into his shoulder before he said, “You can’t just run off like that, ok? Let’s get back to camp, and you can tell me what’s going on.” She loosened her grip on his neck slightly and nodded.

The rain was steady now, and Nick jogged along, trying to remember the way back to camp. He stopped and sniffed, picking up the smell of smoke ahead. The rain approached torrential proportions, so he sprinted forward, until he realized that the camp in front of him wasn’t theirs.

A loud booming voice made Nick jump. “Come in outta the rain, fox.”

The brown bear he’d seen yesterday motioned to him from under a rain fly stretched between trees in front of a huge tent.

As Nick and Peggy stepped into the shelter, two more bears emerged from the tent and Peggy blurted out, “Are you the three little bears?”

The largest bear laughed heartily and said, “Yeah, and it looks like you brought us Goldifox.” His voice rumbled as he introduced himself and the other bears. “My name is Bruce, this here’s my wife Thelma and my daughter Sheila.”

Thelma smiled and said, “My my, aren’t you the cutest lil’ darlin’ bunny. Lemme grab ya’ll some towels.”

Nick tentatively sniffed the air after Thelma handed him what could have been washcloths to a bear, and was surprised to discover she was pregnant. He was debating the propriety of mentioning it when Bruce noticed the look on Nick’s face and laughed. “Ya smell it too, dontcha?” The bear amicably elbowed Nick and almost knocked him over. “Don’t worry none, I know she’s in a family way.”

Nick finished helping Peggy dry off and the bunny scampered over to Sheila, who was playing with dolls almost as big as the little rabbit. Nick looked at Bruce and nodded, before he said, “Congratulations.” 

Bruce returned the nod before he went back to cleaning fish. The bear grabbed a fish from a nearby huge bucket and said, “I can’t say it was planned, but sometimes you just gotta roll with the surprises life throws at ya.” Nick quietly watched with interest when the bear deftly slit open the fish with a single huge claw before gutting it. “You know, your fur don’t look so good. My grampa had a surefire cure for mange, if’n you wanna give it a try.”

Nick turned to watch Peggy playing with Sheila. “No, I just got into a fight with a sticker bush yesterday, so I’m good.”

Bruce chuckled and followed Nick’s gaze. “You gonna eat all them bunnies yer campin’ with?”

“Nope, just the smaller ones.” Nick cringed when he saw Peggy’s ears twitch at his words.

Bruce laughed and went back to cleaning fish.

 

Fifteen minutes later the rain had died down, so Bruce led Nick and Peggy to their campsite. When it came into view, Nick said, “Thanks, Bruce. I owe ya, big guy.”

Before he ambled back towards his camp, the bear replied, “You’re welcome to come by later, if’n you wanna learn how to clean fish. We’ll cook up a fresh batch too.”

Peggy reached up to hold Nick’s paw as they walked towards camp. He smiled down at her and said, “You know I’m not really going to eat you guys, right?”

The bunny smiled back. “Yeah, Mom says you’re just teasing.”

Nick’s eyebrow quirked up. “And what does your dad say?”

The bunny looked at the ground. “I’m not supposed to say those words.”

They walked into camp and Stu stopped scolding two kits before he greeted them. “You got lost, didn’t you?

Nick replied, “I may have gotten a little turned around.”

Stu asked, “You both ok?” Nick nodded, and the buck added, “I’m sorry, I should have woken you before we went off to talk for a bit, but I didn’t think we’d be gone that long.”

Just then Zeke and a few older kits arrived. The buck looked at Nick accusingly and said, “You couldn’t keep an eye on Peggy, huh?”

Stu said, “Now listen Zeke, the older kits--”

“Why is everyone alway standing up for this fox?” He turned to Peggy. “Let’s get you into some dry clothes before you catch cold.”

The scowl on Zeke’s face deepened when Peggy said, “But I want to stay with Uncle Nick!”

Nick let go of her hand. “I have to get cleaned up too. I’ll see you later, squirt.” The fox hurried to duck into his tent, but not before he noticed Stu shaking his head as he looked after Zeke.

 

The rain had stopped by lunchtime and the clouds slowly drifted away. After Nick had crawled out of his tent, he discovered that Zeke had taken Peggy and some of the other rabbits on a hike, so Nick grabbed his jacket and went for a walk along the lake. An hour later he still wanted some space from the rabbits, so he decided to take the bear up on his offer.

It was already dark when Nick finally strolled into camp to find Stu and a few bunnies gathered around the campfire. The older buck looked up and said, “I was just about to send out the search parties to look for you.”

Nick asked, “Zeke and Peggy back yet?”

Stu nodded, then wrinkled his nose when the fox came closer. Nick realized he probably reeked of fish, since he’d helped clean several and then waited around the fire while they were cooking. “Sorry, I must smell pretty bad.” He sat on the opposite side of the fire and hoped the breeze would help.

After a few awkward moments, Nick said, “Can I ask what Zeke’s problem is with me?”

Stu scratched the back of his neck. “That’s… complicated.” The buck glanced at a few nearby rabbits, and Nick thought he might be hesitant to speak frankly around the younger bunnies. There was an uncomfortable silence before Stu added, “I can’t speak for him, but I can at least clear the air between us.” The buck looked pensively at the fire. “You trust Judy, don’t you?”

Nick nodded. “Of course. With my life.”

Stu continued. “I trust her too; she has a good head on her shoulders. She never was one to take the easy path, but I know she’ll find her own way.” Stu poked the fire with a stick, causing the logs to crackle and release a small shower of sparks. “I trust Peggy too. That little bunny really loves you, Nick.”

The fox stared at the fire, lost in the dancing flames for a few moments before he looked at Stu and said in a somber voice, “At the restaurant, you asked me what my intentions are. Judy makes me a better mammal, and she fills an empty space in my life I didn’t even know I had. I’ll do right by her, and I intend to spend the rest of my life by her side because I’d be an idiot to do anything else.”

They were quiet for awhile, before Stu said, “I can see how Judy looks at you, and it’s pretty obvious how you two feel about each other. I’d be proud to call you my son someday, Nick.”

The unexpected words startled the fox, and he paused for a moment before he grinned and said, “I should call you dad when we get back, just to mess with her.” They both laughed, and Nick sighed before adding in a glum voice, “Though I dunno. For me,  _ dad _ has way too many bad memories associated with it.”

Stu nodded. “Well, maybe when you have kits of your own someday, they can help change that.”

Nick shrugged. “If that’s something Judy wants, to adopt someday I mean, I can’t think of another mammal I’d rather raise kits with.”

Stu nodded again and paused as if to say something more, but instead remained silent. Nick could tell something was on his mind, but between the campfire smoke and his own overpoweringly strong fish smell, he couldn’t read anything from Stu’s scent. 

They listened to the night sounds for awhile, until Nick cleared his throat. “Well, I better get cleaned up before bed.” He grabbed a towel and soap along with a clean shirt from his tent and started to walk towards the lake, but stopped and looked at Stu. “Thanks for talking to me tonight.”

The buck smiled. “I’m glad we did. And thanks for finding Peggy.”

Nick stepped away from the fire and heard a young bunny say, “Don’t get lost, Uncle Nick,” followed by a cascade of giggles. The fox chuckled and continued down the path.

 

On the way back from the lake, Nick ran into Zeke, who almost dropped the flashlight he was carrying when he saw the fox. The buck looked at him warily, and Nick was confused when yet again he caught the scent of anger along with the other nuanced smell he couldn’t identify. 

They paused awkwardly for several seconds before the buck said, “You may have Judy’s old man fooled, but you can’t trick me, fox.”

Nick almost snarled out a nasty reply, but he held his tongue after he thought of Judy. Instead, he said, “Zeke, why don’t we sit down and talk--” but the buck ignored his words and pushed past Nick before he disappeared into the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

After seeing Nick off on his camping trip, Judy helped get things ready for the Generations Day celebration at the new warren. She worked alongside Hazel, who was quieter than usual. Judy didn’t find out why, until her sister asked her over for tea in the apartment at the warren that she and Zeke had recently moved into. 

“Zeke and I had a huge blowout last night.” Judy knew that tea with Hazel meant a lengthy discussion of some sort, so she simply nodded and waited for her sister to continue. “It’s hard to explain what we fought about, so I’m just going to dive right in. There were… complications at the end of my last pregnancy. The doctor advised me not to have any more kits, and honestly I do feel like eight is plenty.” Judy heard the hesitancy in Hazel’s voice, but decided not to interrupt. “Actually, let me back up a bit. After we got married, Zeke and I tried to have kits for almost a year before I found out, well, it wasn’t possible for me to get pregnant the usual way. We ended up seeing a specialist, and in-vitro fertilization worked. As part of the IVF procedure we had over thirty fertilized eggs frozen, and thawed them out as we had them implanted over the years. Only four are left, and--” Hazel’s voice quivered momentarily, until she took a sip of tea and continued. “It’s ridiculous to keep paying to store them. Zeke wants to just donate them to bunnies who can’t have kits of their own, but… oh Judy, I don’t want a stranger raising my babies. I want you to have them!”

Judy was stunned. She reflexively reached out to hug Hazel as her sister wept, and Judy’s mind reeled as she tried to wrap her head around what her sister had just said. Kits of her own? Judy thought about the attack that had put her in the hospital years ago. She’d mostly recovered, except for the permanent damage to her ovaries. Judy hadn’t pursued the matter further because she figured if she was going to have someone else’s kits, she might as well just adopt and avoid pregnancy altogether. But this was different.

Judy sighed and shook her head when she realized now why Hazel had been so obsessed with finding out if Nick wanted kits or not. “Look, I don’t even know… well, I’d need to see a doctor first. This is a lot to take in, Hazel. And I need to discuss it with Nick.” 

Hazel wiped her eyes and nodded. “You don’t have to decide right away. I had hoped to get Zeke to agree that we should give them to you before we talked, but instead I got him to pay for one final month of storage--”

Judy frowned. “Waitwaitwait… Zeke doesn’t--”

Hazel interrupted Judy. “Zeke isn’t crazy about Nick helping to raise the kits. But I think I can convince him--”

“Oh sweet cheese and crackers.” Judy held up a paw to keep Hazel from interrupting her again. “If Zeke isn’t on board, none of this matters.”

Hazel nodded. “I’m glad they went camping together. I’m sure Nick will win him over, once Zeke gets to know him.” Hazel laughed nervously. “They’ll probably be best friends when they get back.”

Judy smiled encouragingly, but considering Zeke’s behavior recently, she was pretty sure that wasn’t going to happen, no matter how charming Nick could be.

Hazel bit her bottom lip and looked at Judy wistfully. “At least think about it, okay?”

 

It was the only thing Judy  **could** think about all that evening and through a very sleepless night. She felt like she was being torn in so many directions, and Judy wished that Hazel had talked to her sooner. Then the worrying began. How would she arrange things with work if she decided to go through with this? It would be easier to raise kits in the new warren, but would Nick be accepted there? Would Nick even want to raise kits with her, especially if Zeke was the biological father? And speaking of Zeke, why was he such a jerk towards Nick? After that, she worried about talking to Nick when she wasn’t even sure if IVF would allow her to have kits of her own, and then she realized pretty much everything hinged on this. So as soon as Doctor Avery’s office opened the next morning, Judy called to schedule an appointment and was relieved when a recent cancellation allowed them to squeeze her in at lunchtime on Monday. At least she’d find out if it was even possible for her to have kits this way without a long wait.

Judy dropped her car off for some long overdue maintenance and rode the bus to the warren. She saw a sheep reading the  _ Zootopia Gossip _ , and couldn’t help but roll her eyes when she spotted the headline:  _ Massive protests over pred/prey scandal _ with a picture of a half dozen protesters. Clawhauser had already called to talk to her about the ‘huge protests’ over the previous ZG article. Only a few KWK members were picketing outside the mayor’s office, and she smiled when she remembered the last thing the cheetah had said: “No one is paying attention to them, so don’t worry your fluffy little bunny head until Monday.”

Judy was on autopilot all day, but thankfully she was so busy, time flew by and that night she went to bed excited that Nick would be back in the morning. Judy was exhausted. She immediately fell asleep when her head hit the pillow, and she slept soundly through the night.

 

The next morning, Judy ran to hug Nick as he stepped off the bus. She had never seen him looking so disheveled before. “What happened to your fur?”

Nick hugged her back. “Don’t ask, Carrots.”

Judy looked up into his face and smiled. “Aww, my poor fox. Tell me all about the camping trip.” 

“Well, I got into a fight with a sticker bush and lost, met some bears who taught me how to clean fish, and for some reason, Zeke hates me even more than he did before.”

Judy thought about teasing Nick, but by the tone of his voice she could tell the last part about Zeke really bothered him. It bothered her, too, and it certainly made the whole egg situation more complicated. Judy cast around for something to say, until she noticed her parents hugging nearby. “Dad likes you, though. I can tell.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“Because mom looks happy.”

Nick chuckled. “Yeah, at least he and I got to talk a bit.”

Judy sniffed and scrunched up her face. “You smell horrible. We should go home and get you cleaned up.” She tried to pull away, but Nick gripped her tighter and she giggled. “Ugh, let me go, you stinky fox.”

A wicked grin spread across Nick’s face. “Just trying to get you nice and gross so you’ll join me in the shower.”

Judy laughed. “Naughty sly fox.”

 

Later that day, Judy would have preferred to go with Nick and her dad when Stu offered to show the fox around the warren, but her mom and Hazel begged her to stay and help them in the central kitchen with last minute preparations. Judy had a pretty good idea what the real reason was, and sure enough, right after Nick and her dad left, her mom said, “It sounds like Nick is open to taking care of kits with you someday, Judy.”

Judy sighed and put down the tray she was carrying. “I don’t want any of you bringing this up around Nick until we’ve talked first, and that isn’t going to happen until I’ve had a chance to see the doctor and everything gets worked out with Zeke. I don’t want Nick getting caught up in all of this and worrying for no reason.”

Bonnie nodded and said, “I asked your dad to try to find out why Zeke was so angry with Nick while they were camping, but he didn’t make much headway.”

Judy huffed. “I can’t believe I’m the last one to find out about all this.” 

Hazel said, “Only mom and a few of our sisters know about the eggs. And I didn’t want to worry you until Zeke and I had worked things out. At least he finally agreed to go to counseling with me.”

Judy shook her head. “See if you can find out what his problem is with Nick while you’re there.” When she noticed the guilty look on Hazel’s face, she sighed. “Look, I’m still trying to process all this, and it all hinges on two things. At least one of them is under my control, and I’m scheduled to see the doctor on Monday.” Hazel started to bounce excitedly, and Judy glared at her so she wouldn’t interrupt. “And can we please,  _ please _ talk about something else?”

Instead, they worked quietly for a few minutes before Judy decided to go look for Nick. “Where did dad say they were going?”

Hazel said, “Through the greenhouses and then down to look at the aquaponics setup.”

As Judy walked towards the exit, she rolled her eyes when her mom and Hazel started to talk about Zeke going to counseling and how he and Hazel could work things out.

Judy raced down the stairs and ran into her dad in the greenhouses, where he explained that Nick had decided to go find her in the central kitchen. She ran back and was about to go up the stairs when the elevator dinged and Nick stepped out.

“There you are, Carrots. Your mom said you were looking for me.” His voice sounded odd, but before she could say anything Nick asked, “So, how many mammals are coming to the shindig today?”

Judy smiled and gave him an odd look. “Shindig?”

“I’m just practicing for when I talk to all you country bumpkin bunnies later.”

Judy locked her arm in his and pulled Nick towards an exit. “It’s open to the public, but Hazel doesn’t think it’ll be anyone besides the rabbits working here, and their families.”

Nick grinned. “So only a few hundred thousand rabbits then?” Judy punched him on the arm. “Ow... you’re the one who told me that rabbits are good at multiplying.”

They stepped outside into a small courtyard shaded by tall trees. Judy’s face brightened. “Oh, they’re announcing the new name today. It’s going to officially be called the Zootopia Urban Farm.”

As they walked towards a large open area, Nick said, “No warren or burrow in the name? I’m shocked.”

“They decided on something more generic because of the sponsoring corporation. Plus a rabbit specific name would have been pretty inconsiderate if other mammals are going to be involved here too, right?”

They had just stepped out from under the trees and into the dazzling sunshine when Judy got a text from Hazel:

 

_ Can you come to the front entrance? Zeke says there’s a problem. And bring Nick if he’s around. _

 

Minutes later, Judy and Nick arrived at the front entrance to find a group of mammals carrying signs, including one held up by a porcupine that said,  **_Interspecies relationships are unnatural_ ** .  The small mob of about a dozen protesters all wore shirts that had  **_Kind with Kind_ ** emblazoned across the front. Standing off to one side was Marmota, camera in hand.

The porcupine, along with a sheep and an armadillo, were in a heated discussion with Zeke, while several rabbits from the warren milled around behind him uncertainly. They were all standing under a large banner that read:  **_Generations Day celebration at Zootopia Urban Farms, sponsored by HERD Inc._ **

As Judy and Nick came closer, they heard Zeke say, “This is private property. Well behaved visitors can come to the celebration, but no signs, and if you’re disruptive you’ll be asked to leave.”

An angry murmur arose from the protesters when Judy and Nick arrived. Judy pulled out her badge and said, “Officer Hopps, ZPD. What’s going on here?”

Before any of the mammals could respond, there was the sound of a camera shutter, which caused Judy to turn and glare at Marmota. The woodchuck continued to snap pictures of the confrontation, and Judy moved in his direction. Nick turned to follow her, just as the armadillo raised the sign he was holding and swung it at the fox’s head.


	9. Chapter 9

Judy carefully cleaned the gash on Nick’s forehead while he spoke. “I can’t believe that old armadillo tried to bash me on the head.” Nick had almost dodged the mammal’s first swing, which ended up just grazing his forehead, before he managed to wrestle the sign away from the armadillo shortly after that. The rest of the protesting mammals had dropped their signs and backed up into a confused huddle while Judy confronted Marmota. The other rabbits all scattered, except Zeke, who surprised Nick by trying to restrain the armadillo before Judy literally leapt into the fray and slammed Nick’s assailant to the ground. Meanwhile, Marmota continued taking pictures until Zeke confronted him and the woodchuck scurried over to join the crowd of protesters.

Fifteen minutes later, a half-dozen officers from the third precinct had shown up to arrest the armadillo and act as crowd control. They were in the process of chasing away Marmota and the remaining protesters when Judy dragged Nick to one of the cruisers to treat his wound.

She stopped rummaging through the elephant sized first aid kit. Her ears drooped, and Nick could smell her worry as she said, “I hope photos of me slamming the armadillo to the ground don’t get published.”

Nick smirked. “Well, at least we can look forward to the article in the ZG about a poor defenseless fox getting attacked by a mean old armadillo.”

Judy snorted. “Right. I can’t wait to see how this gets twisted around.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “I wish we could charge Marmota with something. Inciting to riot would be nice, except only one mammal got rowdy.” She sighed. “And we can’t even prove he was responsible for them being here.” Judy bit her lip, deep in thought. “You know, we’ve been taking this abuse long enough. Let me see if I can talk to the Farm’s lawyer. He’s a family member of one of the bunnies that work here, and he might have some ideas.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “I guess you don’t need to know everyone if you’ve got a few hundred relatives.” He grinned. “You bunnies really put the  _ commune _ in community, huh?”

Judy gave him an annoyed look which quickly turned smug. She pulled an oversized container of spray on liquid bandage out of the first aid kit and said, “Hold still, so I don’t glue your eyes and mouth shut.” Nick wasn’t sure if it was a threat or a warning, so he did as he was told and Judy carefully coated the wound. “Okay, you can open your eyes now. We should give our statements to the officers from the third precinct and enjoy the rest of the celebration.”

 

It was odd, being the only fox in a sea of bunnies. While several older rabbits took turns speaking, Nick puzzled over what he'd overheard when he went to find Judy earlier. As Nick was about to enter the central kitchen, Hazel and Bonnie were talking about Zeke being angry and hoping counseling would work so they could give something to Judy. He’d stepped through the door, surprising Hazel so that she dropped a pan, and the conversation came to a screeching halt. If their behavior wasn't odd enough, the scent from Hazel, Bonnie, and several other Hopps adults Nick ran into the rest of that day was unsettling. They were all brimming with a nervous scent that was practically overwhelming.

Now that he thought about it, the nervous rabbits were all females. And they all seemed to be avoiding talking to Judy, which was odd. At least Stu was his usual amiable self, probably because the buck was the last one to know whatever it was the rest of his family seemed to be worried about.

 

As the ceremony drew to a close, Nick texted Finnick:

 

_ Meet me for beers at my place? _

 

A minute went by until Nick's phone dinged:

 

_ Hafta be before 7pm I got places to be after that _

 

Nick wasn’t sure if he could make it home on public transport and have any time to talk, so he thought for a moment and replied:

 

_ Can you pick me up? _

 

Nick rolled his eyes when he saw the response:

 

_ Depends on where your lazy ass is _

 

Nick texted Finnick the address and started to search for Judy in the large crowd of rabbits. He finally spotted her talking to a group of younger bunnies and began to make his way through the milling crowd, but paused. She was talking animatedly, and the rabbits around her nodded as they listened. Rather than interrupt, Nick decided to text her instead. He changed course and made his way to the front entrance, where he found a few rabbits talking in small groups along with a polar bear officer standing watch.

Nick texted Judy while he waited for Finnick:

 

_ Hey carrots I’m gonna sneak off and have a few beers with finnick _

 

He waited several minutes for a response:

 

_ Ok. I know you need a break from the bunny tsunami =:-) _

 

A few minutes later, Nick hopped into Finnick’s van and the vehicle lurched into the street before the smaller fox said, “What the hell happened to your fur? Damn Nick, you look like shit.”

Nick barked out a sharp laugh. “It’s good to see you too. And beers first before I talk about it.” Nick saw Finnick glance at the cut on his forehead, so he pointed at it and added, “Nice huh? Nothing like a gift from an adoring fan to make you feel special.”

Finnick cackled. “That’s right, you famous now, Nick. Did the bunny knock you flat on yo’ ass again? The guys couldn’t stop laughin’ at the pic of you and her foolin’ around in the car.” Nick glared at the smaller fox, who added, “Don’t be like that. Everybody knows only chumps believe even half o’ what’s in the  _ Gossip _ .”

They went to Judy’s apartment to pick up Nick’s uniform and grab some beer. After they were settled at Nick’s apartment, Finnick crashed on the couch with a beer in his paw and asked, “I thought you two was shackin’ up already?”

Nick stared at the bottle he’d just taken a long drink from. “Yeah, it’s… complicated.”

Finnick shook his head. “Relationships is always complicated with you.”

 

After another beer each, Nick mentioned the conversation he’d overheard at the Farm, but neither fox could figure out what the rabbits had been talking about. Nick also brought up the issues he’d been having with Zeke, but Finnick was no help there either. All the smaller fox could offer was, “Probably just a load of weird bunny shit we preds can’t understand.”

Then Nick recounted everything that had transpired the past week. Finnick listened quietly, except for a hearty laugh when he heard about the encounter with the sticker bush. As they continued to talk, the smaller fox could see that his friend was worried. Both foxes were used to poor treatment from other mammals, but Nick was worried about how well Judy would handle discrimination caused by the increasing public scrutiny of their relationship.

Nick ended up having a few more beers than he’d planned while he and Finnick talked, so Nick decided he wasn’t up to going back to Judy’s apartment that night. After Nick said goodbye to the smaller fox, he sent Judy a text:

 

_ I’m wiped so I think I’ll crash at my place _

 

Moments later his phone dinged when Judy responded:

 

_ I’ll miss you tonight, but I know you need a break after the past few days _

 

He quickly replied:

 

_ I’ll miss you too _

 

The next morning, Nick had hoped to meet Judy for breakfast at the Kopi Luwak Coffeehouse, but when he sent a text to invite her she texted him back and said she’d spent the night at the Farm and couldn’t make it in time.

Nick waited outside ZPD headquarters with two coffees and Judy’s favorite muffin. He sipped his coffee as he watched the KWK protestors across the square in front of City Hall.

Nick's heart skipped a beat when he caught sight of Judy walking across the parking lot. She looked tired and worried, though her face lit up after she saw him. He wordlessly handed her the muffin and a coffee and returned her smile. “You doing ok, Carrots?”

She nodded and held up the coffee. “Thanks for this.”

They both sipped their drinks for a few moments and watched the KWK protesters. Nick said, “Should I go over and say hi to them?”

Judy laughed and rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you already suffered enough head trauma this past week?”

Nick laughed and almost knocked her over when he hip-checked her before they walked into the ZPD lobby, where Judy stopped to chat with Francine while Nick went to greet Clawhauser.

Nick grew close to the front desk and the cheetah leaned over to nervously ask, “How are you two? I heard about the trouble yesterday.”

Nick shrugged. “It wasn’t that bad. And we’re good.” Judy walked up and stood next to Nick. He nudged her gently with his elbow and added, “Even Fluff’s family is coming around.”

Clawhauser smiled and nodded excitedly. “I’m glad. It’s hard when family isn’t accepting. My parents…” the cheetah trailed off before he continued in a forlorn voice. “They don’t appreciate my life choices.” Judy and Nick exchanged awkward looks and Clawhauser continued. “They’re all into running, and my weight really bothers them.”

Judy laughed nervously while Nick smiled and said, “That just means there’s more of you to love, big guy.”

Still looking distressed, Clawhauser looked at Judy and said, “The Chief wants to see you first thing.”

Judy nodded and said, “Thanks, Clawhauser.” She brushed against Nick and started across the lobby. “Stay out of trouble, Slick.”

“See ya, Carrots.” Nick watched Judy’s retreating backside and smiled when her tail twitched ever so slightly.

Even though she was almost out of sight, Nick saw Judy’s ears swivel in his direction when Clawhauser spoke again. “Oh, I almost forgot. Something came for you this morning, Nick.”

The fox saw the thick envelope from the Northlund station and whined, “Why couldn’t they have sent this via email?” He grumbled as he picked up the case file. “Stupid podunk rural precinct, they probably still use typewriters.”

 

While Judy was off getting yelled at by Chief Bogo, Nick met with a surly warthog from Internal Affairs to give a preliminary statement. After that, he pretended to do paperwork while he read the case file from Northlund. An hour later, Nick was so engrossed he almost jumped out of his skin when Judy put a paw on his shoulder to drag him away for their morning break.

They decided to go to a nearby coffeehouse, a popular hangout for ZPD officers. They each ordered a coffee and sat quietly in their favorite booth. Judy glanced at the case file that Nick had brought with him and asked, “Find out anything new? I know you were reading that instead of doing your paperwork.”

Nick shrugged. “Not much so far. The murdered vixen was a Miss Olivia Lisza. It looks like my dad called her pretty regularly on his second phone, until a few days before he went missing at the hospital.”

Judy nodded and took a sip of her coffee. “Any murder suspects?”

“Not really. She has a daughter who’s wanted for questioning. Let’s see…” Nick flipped through the case file and skimmed the pages. “Her name is Karla. They’re both suspected of smuggling drugs for a cartel up north, but Karla hasn’t been seen since before her mother’s body was found.” Nick examined the page and frowned. “Huh.”

“What?”

“The drug cartel… they have their paws in some scary stuff. Mammal trafficking, arms smuggling, and a nasty side of nightshade.”

Judy raised an eyebrow. “Nightshade?”

“That’s the street name for noche revu serum.” Judy nodded when she heard the official name. Nick mulled over what he knew about the drug. NRS wasn’t common in Zootopia, but it was fairly popular in the far north. Derived from the night howler formula, in small doses it acted as a hallucinogenic, but at higher doses it caused users to attack others or even seriously harm themselves. Nightshade also had some terrible side effects, like tremors and fur loss. It got its street name from the sickly gray colored skin of frequent users.

 

On the way back to the precinct, Nick looked at his phone when he got a text from Finnick:

 

_ Who the hell did you piss off? _

 

Included with the text was an image of that day’s  _ Zootopia Gossip _ , which featured a picture of Nick at the Farm, standing under a large  _ Sponsored by HERD Corp _ banner. It was taken right after Nick had pulled the sign away from the armadillo, and nothing appeared amiss until Nick noticed what the sign he was holding said:  _ Preds First _ . The part of the caption that was visible read,  _ Specist ZPD Officer Nicholas Wilde protesting outside the Zootopia Urban Farm _ ... 

Nick groaned and showed the picture of the ZG article to Judy, who got so angry she started to shake. Her voice trembled and she spluttered out, “Marmota... he's gone too far. We'll haul his ass in for libel--”

Nick laughed. “Do you think that’ll matter, Carrots? Mammals will believe what they want, and sleazy tabloids will publish whatever they can for a quick buck.” She didn't respond, so he added, “At least there wasn't a picture of you tackling the armadillo, right?” Judy's ears drooped flat against her head, and she still didn't speak.

They walked in silence for awhile, before Judy looked at her phone and quietly said, “I've got a doctor's appointment at lunch.”

Nick tried to keep the worry out of his voice. “Everything ok? Want me to go with you?”

“No, it's just a routine checkup.”

Nick nodded calmly, but her response shook him to his core. He didn't even have to catch her scent to know that Judy was lying to him.

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

After Nick had said goodbye to Judy before lunch, he decided to pay a visit to Aurora. He walked into the albino raccoon’s office, and as always what stood out most to the fox was her fluffy white fur.

Aurora didn’t even glance up from her workbench. “What do you want, Wilde.”

Nick smirked and leaned against her desk so he could look at the raccoon with half lidded eyes. “I’m just here to see your happy smiling face.”

She continued to look at whatever was occupying her attention on the workbench. “The only time you make me smile is when you leave.”

Nick chuckled. He thought he’d rubbed Aurora the wrong way when they first met, but she was surly to everyone as far as he could tell. She only had one weakness that he knew of, and luckily his current predicament put him in the perfect position to exploit it.

“I was hoping you could install the ZPD apps on my new phone.”

“You mean the apps available on the intranet website that any idiot could easily download and install himself?”

Nick grimaced. He had actually tried, but for some reason the install kept crashing. “I think your technological genius is required.”

The raccoon sighed and finally looked up at him. “Just set your phone on the counter, I’ll get to it later.”

Nick nodded and repressed a shudder. As striking as he found her white fur, Nick had to admit Aurora’s gaze always made him uncomfortable. Not daring to break eye contact with the raccoon, Nick said, “There is one other thing that only you can help me with, if it isn’t too much trouble. I'm hoping you can recover the data off of this.” Nick knew she loved tearing apart gadgets, and sure enough, her face lit up when he pulled out his broken phone.

As she stood up and walked towards him, Nick pondered how he would tell Aurora he appreciated her help. In the past, ‘I owe ya, little lady,’ had been met with  _ who you callin’ little, fox? _ While on the next occasion a joking, ‘thanks, big gal,’ elicited an angry  _ are you sayin’ I’m fat? _ And worst of all was her response to his usual flirty use of ‘darlin.’  _ Call me darlin’ again, and you’ll be talking to Mammal Resources _ . He couldn’t think of anything else, so he simply said, “Thanks, Aurora.”

She picked up the broken phone and grunted an acknowledgment, her attention already focused on the device as she deftly pulled the cover off and returned to her workbench. Nick started to walk away and she said, “Should be ready later today.”

 

Later that afternoon, Nick and Judy sat in their patrol car not far from Savannah Central and quietly watched the crowd of mammals mill about on the plaza. Nick casually broke the silence. “How'd the doctor’s appointment go?”

Judy was sitting up in her seat, her paws in her lap as she stared out the window. “It was fine.”

Nick noticed her scent was neutral. A little too neutral, in fact. Nick silently cursed to himself when he realized how good Judy was getting at masking her tells and hiding her scent from him. He was trying to decide if he should push the matter when the radio crackled to life and Clawhauser said, “Unit 240, return to HQ immediately and meet me at the front desk. Code 900, over.”

Nick reached for the mic, but Judy beat him to it. “10-4. ETA 15 minutes, over.” Her face was filled with worry. “Wonder what's up? And why the rush and radio silence?”

Nick shrugged. “Could be the Internal Affairs folks, but seems kind of early for that.” He smiled when Judy gave him another worried look. “Only one way to find out, Carrots.” He buckled his seatbelt and added, “Bogo probably just wants to make sure we finish all our backlogged paperwork.” Still uncharacteristically quiet, Judy looked grim as she pulled into the street.

Back at the precinct, Nick and Judy followed a subdued Clawhauser to the main conference room, where they spotted Aurora, Chief Bogo, and Wolford through the window. 

Judy whispered to Nick, “What did you do this time?”

Nick made a rude noise in response before they entered the room.

Chief Bogo already sat at the head of the table. He cleared his throat. “Everyone find a seat, except you, Clawhauser.” As the mammals sat and the cheetah moved closer to the Chief to hover uncertainly, Bogo continued. “Aurora, go ahead.”

Nick briefly freaked out after the raccoon looked at him and said, “It’s about your phone.” Nick was pretty sure he'd purged all the shady contacts and texts off his old phone long ago, but he relaxed when the raccoon added, “The orange iCarrot, I mean. Can you tell me where you got it?”

Nick nodded. “Hang on, I think I still have the business card the mole gave me.” He fished it out of his wallet and passed the card to Aurora, who in turn gave it to Clawhauser.

The cheetah looked at Chief Bogo expectantly and the water buffalo turned to address him. “This is priority one. The clock is ticking.” Clawhauser nodded and hurried out of the room.

Wolford spoke up. “Should Officer Wilde still be here? Since he’s a vic--”

Bogo held up a hoof to silence the wolf. “We’ll need every small officer we can find for the raid this evening. After that--”

Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw Judy cringe when he interrupted. “I’m sorry, but can someone kindly tell me what the hell is going on?” 

Chief Bogo glared at Nick for a moment, before the buffalo’s expression softened and he nodded at Aurora. “Please continue.”

The raccoon cleared her throat and looked at Nick. “When I went to install the ZPD apps on your phone, I found an… anomaly. At first, I thought maybe it was just some malware, but this is way more sophisticated than anything I’ve seen before. There’s tracking software embedded in your phone, Officer Wilde, so we’re going to have to confiscate it and send it to the ZBI for further analysis.”

 

There was a whirlwind of activity after that.

Aurora hastily checked Judy's phone and verified that it was clean. After that, Nick and Judy were joined by two otters and a large brown hare that was almost as tall as Nick. They were outfitted with brand new SWAT gear and loaded into a van driven by a tiger from the second precinct along with Aurora, Wolford, and McHorn. Since their destination was a shop for smaller mammals, and moles were notorious diggers, Chief Bogo felt calling for help from other precincts was the prudent course of action in case tunnels were discovered.

Wolford looked at the smaller mammals and smirked. “I didn’t know we even had SWAT gear this tiny. I gotta take a picture--” He started to pull out his phone and froze when Judy glared at him before the wolf slowly put the device back in his pocket.

Nick tried to remember every phone call, text, picture, and place he’d been after he got the new phone. It freaked him out that unknown mammals had access to all his personal data, but he smirked at the memory of Finnick sneaking the phone the previous night to take a picture of his backside. Small punishment for whoever was looking at his data, in more ways than one.

Nick sighed. Not all the mammals were unknown. It was now pretty obvious how Marmota had managed to pop up and harass him over and over. Nick had to hand it to the woodchuck, he’d certainly pulled one over on him. Nick was pretty sure the rhino who’d stepped on his old phone was probably in on the scam too, and the former con-mammal felt dumb for not seeing what was going on sooner. Now they just needed to figure out how to trace everything back to Marmota, and raiding the mole’s shop was the first step.

Wolford was dropped off to guard the back entrance and the van swung around to the front of the store, where McHorn and Aurora took up station while the rest of the mammals drew their tranq guns and swarmed through the door.

The store was empty, except for the mole who was busy restocking shelves. The mole paused to sniff the air when the officers approached. Nick couldn’t help but smile after he heard Judy officiously say, “Bradley Diggory, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.” Nick ignored the rest of what Judy said and carefully watched the mole. Sure enough, ever so slightly the mole glanced to his right for just a brief moment as Judy continued to read him his rights. Nick followed his gaze and noticed a small desk against the back wall.

As the mole was cuffed and led outside, Aurora entered the store before Nick walked over to the desk. He easily moved it aside and revealed a hole in the floor that gradually sloped down out of sight. It was too small for him or the hare to squeeze into, but Judy and both the otters would probably fit.

Nick cringed when Judy jumped forward to volunteer. “I’m the senior officer, I’ll go. Everyone quiet.” She listened carefully for a few seconds before she crawled into the hole. Moments later Nick relaxed after Judy gave the all clear and the two otters scrambled into the hole.

 

***

 

They ended up finding over a dozen modified phones and a second computer in the small hidden room in the mole’s shop. Later when they headed home, Judy asked Nick to drive. Since she only left the driving to him when she was exhausted, Nick wasn’t surprised when she immediately fell asleep in the passenger seat.

They made it home and after leaving a trail of SWAT gear on the way to the bedroom before crashing onto the bed, Judy sleepily murmured,  “We need to talk about something important, but I’m just too tired to do it right now.” Nick nodded, and she continued. “Don’t worry, it isn’t bad. It’s just… complicated.”

He gently stroked her ears and Judy snuggled up against him. “Less talk, more sleeping bunnies.” She smiled and was soon fast asleep.

Judy’s scent got jumbled and more pronounced, like it always did when she was having intense dreams. Even though Nick was exhausted, he was too restless so he finally gave up trying to sleep and carefully crawled out from under Judy before he went to sit on the couch and watch the late night news.

The top story was an interview with a weeping vixen, who described an attack on her husband earlier that day. “I was so worried they would hurt me and my kits.” Nick froze as a feeling of panic swept over him when the news announcer added, “This hate crime has been linked to a recent article in the  _ Zootopia Gossip _ \--”  Nick flicked off the TV and his stomach churned at the thought that Judy might be in danger because of him.

Nick cast around for something else to do, before he sighed and decided to call Aurora and see if they’d recovered anything interesting from the mole’s shop. He picked up Judy’s phone from the table and turned it on, but before he could place the call a flurry of alerts spilled from the device. The most recent was a text from Hazel:

 

_ Call me immediately. _

 

Nick panicked, worried that something might have happened to Peggy or one of Judy’s other family members, so he quickly dialed Hazel. She picked up on the first ring and immediately began to speak. “Zeke lied about paying the storage fees this month, but--”

Nick interrupted her. “Hang on Hazel, it’s Nick. Is everyone ok?”

“Nick?”

There was a long pause, so long that Nick wasn’t sure if she was still on the line. Finally, Nick said, “Are you there? Hazel, what the hell is going on?”

Hazel spoke hesitantly. “I… I can’t talk right now. I thought by now Judy… look, I’m sorry Nick, I have to go. Zeke and I had a huge fight earlier and I need to find him.”

She abruptly hung up and Nick stared at the phone, just as another text came in from Judy’s mom:

 

_ Herd Corp is considering withdrawing support from the Urban Farm. Call us tomorrow. _

 

Nick sagged back into a chair and gaped at the phone while he tried to process all the thoughts whirling through his head. Nick froze when he noticed two new voicemail alerts on Judy’s phone. One was from a Doctor Avery, and another was from someone labeled  _ reproductive endocrinologist _ . It took every ounce of willpower Nick had to keep from digging through Judy’s phone right then and there.

Pressing the device to his forehead, Nick held his head in his paws and tried to calm his thoughts. Nick couldn’t figure out what was happening, but he was pretty sure that things were coming apart in Judy’s family and he was only making things worse.

Nick jumped when the phone rang. He noticed it was a ZPD number and answered quickly. “Hello?”

Aurora spoke on the other end of the line. “Officer Wilde? I need you to come down to the station. I’ve found some info related to your missing father on one of the computers. The Chief said to pack your bags, because he may be sending you up to Northlund for a few days.”

Nick curtly replied, “Understood. I’ll be there shortly.” His paws shook when he hung up the phone, which he stared at for several moments before he slowly placed it back on the table. After jotting a quick note to Judy, Nick grabbed his laptop and a few other things and quietly headed out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Judy stepped into the doorway of the nursery and found Nick holding a single rabbit kit. And then it hit Judy like a thunderbolt. Not just any kit. Her kit. Nick smiled and hummed to himself while he fed the bunny. Seeing Nick feed her child made Judy’s heart ache in a way she’d never felt before. She stood quietly in the doorway and watched as Nick finished the feeding before carefully putting the baby bunny down in the crib next to three other sleepy siblings.

Nick cleared his throat and four pairs of small rabbit ears swiveled in his direction. He held up a book and Judy stepped closer to listen and peer down at the bunnies as Nick began to read.  “Once, there was a little bunny who wanted to run away.” Nick paused, and the room was quiet. The silence stretched on uncomfortably until Judy glanced over to find that Nick was gone.

Judy jerked awake and could tell immediately she’d overslept. She flew out of bed in a panic before she remembered Chief Bogo had told her and Nick to take the day off because of the raid on the mole’s shop the previous night. Judy wondered where Nick was, until she stumbled into the kitchen and found his note on the counter next to her phone:

 

_ I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I can see I’m a big part of the problem right now. I saw that you have new voicemail from Dr. Avery and someone labeled as a reproductive endocrinologist, so I assume you’re in the process of making a huge decision. I need you to make the choice that’s right for you, Judy. Whatever is going on, it’s tearing your family apart, and I don’t want to add to your stress right now. Just realize that I’ll support whatever decision you make, but it has to be the one that’s right for you, without interference from me. _

_ There’s been a break in my dad’s case. I’m pretty sure Chief Buffalo Butt is going to send me to the Northlund precinct to chase down leads. I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused your family at the Farm, so me getting out of town right now is probably a good idea for everyone anyway. Please be careful while I’m gone. I’ll pick up a new phone as soon as possible, and I’ll call you so we can talk things out. _

 

_ Nick _

 

Judy quietly said, “You dumb fox.” She knew he needed space now and then, but Judy was still irritated that Nick had run off without at least saying goodbye. She was confused by the letter until Judy saw the huge number of messages that had filled up her phone the previous night. “Sweet cheese and crackers, what the hell is going on?”

She started to scan through the messages and paused. “First things first.” Judy dialed the precinct, and when Clawhauser answered she said, “Hey Benji, this is Judy. Can I talk to Nick?”

“Oooh, no can do, Judy. He caught the first train to Northlund this morning.”

“Thanks, Clawhauser.” They exchanged goodbyes and Judy hung up the phone. She sighed and tried not to think about how much she missed Nick already.

Judy contemplated trying to talk the Chief into letting her catch up with Nick, though now that she thought about it perhaps this was one of those times she should just give Nick some space. Besides, if she was going to talk to Chief Bogo, she really needed to discuss maternity leave with him. It was another tough conversation she probably couldn’t put off any longer.

Judy noticed the urgent text from Hazel, but the call went straight to voicemail when Judy called her back. She checked her own voicemail, and sure enough, there was a message from her sister:

 

_ “Judy, Zeke didn’t pay the rent on the eggs this month. They’ve already been moved, in preparation to thaw--”  _ Hazel choked up and started to weep for several seconds before she continued.  _ “Luckily I found out before… look, _ _ if this is too sudden, I won’t blame you… please call me back as soon as you can. We’ll need to schedule this right away. And… I can come with you, if you still want to go through with it.” _

 

Judy was nervous and excited to get this process going, and not just because it would ease the tension between Hazel and Zeke. She re-read Nick’s note.  _ Just realize that I’ll support whatever decision you make. _ Judy knew she and Nick would work things out. She texted Hazel:  _ Call me so we can schedule it. And I do want you to come with me. _

Now Judy knew she couldn’t put off talking to Chief Bogo, so she checked her phone for a message from Nick one last time before she called Clawhauser again.

 

***

 

As Judy followed the small white rabbit doctor back to the waiting room, she reveled at how straightforward and quick the procedure had been. The doctor smiled at Judy and handed her a pamphlet. “Make sure you get at least twenty-four hours of bedrest and follow these instructions. If you have any questions, call the office. We’ll see you again in six days for the ultrasound.”

Though Judy knew this certainly made things more complicated, she told herself again that things would work out, and she hoped that Nick would call her soon. Judy shivered as the realization fully set in. She was one step closer to being a mom.

As she followed Hazel outside to the parking lot, Judy turned on her phone and checked the messages, but there was still nothing from Nick. They quietly climbed into Hazel’s car and drove for a few minutes before Judy said, “Nick and I have so much to do to get ready.”

Hazel nodded. “Don’t buy anything yet. Everyone at the Farm has so many extra clothes and things already.” She glanced at Judy worriedly. “Sure you don’t want any company tonight?”

Judy shook her head. “I just want to go rest and wait for Nick to call.” She paused for a few moments and added, “How are things with Zeke?”

Hazel shrugged. “Zeke gets super apologetic and clingy when he feels guilty about something he’s done, so he’s driving me crazy. We’re scheduled to see the counselor tomorrow.”

Judy nodded and looked out the passenger window. “Nick is the exact opposite. He shuts down and runs away.” She turned to look at Hazel. “Let me know how it goes.”

“I will. Everything ok between you and Nick?”

Judy hesitated and looked down at her paws. “I know he’s stressed out by everything. He had to leave town for a case, and I’m worried that he hasn’t called, but he’s probably busy chasing down leads.” She sighed and looked out the window again. “I’ll call the Northlund precinct first thing tomorrow if I don’t hear from him tonight.”

They rode in silence after Judy pulled out her phone and scrolled through the messages until she sighed. “I need to call mom and dad back.”

Hazel shook her head. “Don’t worry about them, or the rest of the family. They’re all in a tizzy about the Farm, and you’ve got other things to worry about right now.” She smiled at her sister. “I’ll tell everyone to stop bugging you for awhile.”

Judy returned her smile. “Thanks. I don’t want to tie up the phone in case Nick tries to call.”

They pulled into the parking lot of Judy’s apartment building. As Judy opened the door and hopped out of the car, Hazel said, “Let me know if you need anything. I mean it, Judy. I’m here for you.”

Judy nodded. “I know.”

Before Judy could close the passenger door, Hazel added, “Judy… I don’t know how to thank you--”

Judy climbed back into the car and hugged Hazel. “It’s ok. I really do want this, more than I ever thought I would.”

After Judy waved goodbye to Hazel and stumbled into her apartment, she flopped down onto the couch and closed her eyes. Judy was exhausted, even more than yesterday, which wasn’t surprising since she knew her body was in overdrive right now.

Judy thought about the dream that morning, and she realized now more than ever that the idea of Nick holding her children moved her in a primal way that nothing had before. Judy pushed aside her feelings of self doubt and concentrated on what Nick had written in the letter as she gently placed her paw on her stomach and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

 

The next morning Judy checked her phone. There were still no new messages, so she called the Northlund precinct and asked to speak to Nick.

The mammal on the other end of the line said, “I’m glad you called, Officer Hopps. Chief Bogo told us yesterday that Officer Wilde was coming here on the train from Zootopia, but we haven’t seen him yet. Can you tell me when we can expect him to arrive?”

  
  



	12. Chapter 12

Nick stared out the window of the train and watched the countryside race by as he thought about the past few days. For what must have been the fifth time in the last hour, his mind started to wander to the drama he’d left behind in Zootopia, but he shook his head. Better to focus on something he could actually fix, instead of dwelling on all of that right now.

Nick stared at the open laptop in front of him and thought about the information Aurora had found on the computer pulled from the mole’s shop. In addition to Nick’s phone, at least a dozen other phones were actively being tracked, and among the recent activity was a single entry for the phone Nick’s dad had regularly used to call the murdered Vixen in Northlund so long ago. The phone hadn’t been used in years, until the sudden recent activity. Nick was confused as to how the phone could even be tracked, since service had lapsed after his dad disappeared, until Aurora patiently explained the phone had probably been turned on long enough to get a signal out through an open wifi connection.

Nick gazed out the window again and a mix of emotions surged through him at the thought of his dad. Anger. Feelings of betrayal and sadness. And hope, though he’d deny it if anyone asked. Nick was here on a missing mammal case, but deep down he knew he also wanted some answers.

There was another emotion he felt too, something new. Fear. He’d read somewhere that you learn to be a parent by example, and Nick was afraid he’d never be a good father. But he knew no matter what, he couldn’t abandon kits like his dad had abandoned him. And he’d never just leave Judy like a coward in the night.

Nick gave up trying to corral his thoughts and just let them roam free. After his dad had left, he’d never really had a father figure in his life. Now that he thought about it, the closest he’d come to that was Stu saying he’d be proud to call him son someday. Nick chuckled to himself. A rabbit treating a fox like a son seemed crazy.

A small voice whispered in the back of his head.  _ What about a fox raising rabbit kits? _

He closed his eyes and let out a long, deep sigh.  How had he ended up back here again? He didn’t have time to think about this right now. Nick laughed to himself as he remembered the warning Chief Bogo had given him just a few months ago, about not letting his relationship with Judy interfere with his work.

Nick yawned and tried to focus again as he carefully considered the Zoogle map showing a cluster of warehouses on the edge of Northlund. Just over a week and a half ago, someone in those buildings had turned on his dad’s phone, and Nick was on his way to find out more. They hadn’t had any luck reaching anyone at the town’s precinct before he left Zootopia, and after he’d seen it on the map earlier Nick knew why: the entire precinct could easily fit in the lobby of ZPD headquarters.

He sighed again and closed his laptop. Nick knew he should try to get some sleep. Tired minds make mistakes, and mistakes could get you hurt. Or worse. Instead, he went back to staring out the window and restlessly tried not to think about Judy, until the train finally arrived at his destination.

While Zootopia was gently headed into the cooler months of winter, Northlund was already in full-on frozen tundra mode. Nick had taken the train to the end of the line, unsure of what to expect since he’d never been this far north before. When he stepped onto the station platform, he immediately regretted not bringing more cold weather gear.

Nick shivered and stifled another yawn. He pulled the collar of his jacket up and gazed out at what little there was to see of the town. Nick realized now why his online searches had shown only one place where mammals could rent a car. Northlund was sparsely populated, but like most northern rural communities the small dense center was surrounded by clusters of buildings with large stretches of nothing between them. Two small streets branched off from the train station, flanked by one and two story gray concrete buildings. The drabness was broken by a lone flickering neon sign over a large industrial building, the red letters spelling out the name of a well-known seafood importer. Absent was the hustle and bustle of the city, and the few mammals that streamed off the train hastily moved through the swirling snow to waiting vehicles and nearby buildings.

Nick trudged through the deep drifts in the direction that Zoogle maps had indicated he could pick up the car he’d reserved online. He turned the corner and almost stepped on the tail of a small grayish fox who was crouched in a doorway. Nick jumped back as the fox held out a battered tin cup and turned to look up, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. Nick recognized the symptoms of drug abuse common among mammals who abused nightshade: tremors, patchy fur, the visible skin a dull ashen gray. The beggar was bundled up against the cold, his clothing dingy and ragged. What little fur he had left was dirty and unkempt.

Nick hesitated before he reached into his pocket and pulled out some change to drop with a clatter into the cup. The beggar licked his lips and grinned. His nose twitched and he said, “City fox, eh? Lemme get a look at ya.” He slowly lifted his glasses to reveal empty eye sockets, and the gray fox cackled at Nick’s sharp intake of breath. The beggar lowered his glasses and added, “Just messin’ with ya. Best be careful, this ain’t no place for city folks. And doubly so for our kind.”

Nick hurried past the beggar and made his way through the drifting snow towards the yellow Herdz Rent-a-Car sign.

Thirty minutes later Nick peered out the windshield at the swirling snow as he slowly drove a car that might have seen better days a few decades ago. With the poor weather and conditions getting worse, Nick didn’t relish the idea of driving at night. And if he wanted to check out the warehouses before the sun went down, he’d have to do it now. Nick needed to pick up a phone, but the store, hotel, and precinct were on the far side of town. He honestly was exhausted, and Nick knew he should probably pick up a phone and try to get some rest before he did anything else. Except curiosity tickled at the back of his brain. If he waited, Nick knew he probably wouldn’t have time to come back today before it got dark. Besides, the phone store wouldn’t be closed for another few hours, and he was itching to pursue the lead on his missing father.

After a forty minute drive through the falling snow, Nick crept along the road near the warehouses. He shivered when he saw two wolves loading crates into a van parked in front of the last building. This by itself wasn’t unusual, but he also noticed a raccoon leaning against a nearby wall, obviously acting as lookout. Nick made sure not to stare while he drove past, and his spine tingled under the withering gaze of the smaller mammal. A few moments later the warehouse was out of sight and the car was again enveloped by the flurry of falling snow.

Nick continued down the road for a few more blocks and stopped. What if the warehouse was emptied before he could even contact anyone from the precinct? He should at least try to get a look at the license plate on the van. Though Nick wasn’t sure it was the location where the phone had last been used, he had a hunch that it was. He remembered how long it took the precinct just to get him the casefile, so efficiency wasn’t exactly priority one here. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to sneak a quick peek and see what he was dealing with. He tiredly rubbed his eyes before he slid his tranq gun into the inside pocket of his jacket and climbed out of the car into the frigid street.

When Nick had examined the area on Zoogle maps earlier, he’d memorized a few locations and alleyways that looked like they would be an unobtrusive way to get closer to the warehouses for a better look. He’d just started down one of those alleys when a sudden bright light blinded him and a voice said, “Freeze, fox. Paws where I can see ‘em.” The glint of a gun barrel added emphasis to the words.

Nick silently cursed his stupidity. Of course any shady mammal with half a brain would know exactly where to put lookouts in case someone came snooping around. He considered trying to make a break for it, before another voice behind him said, “I know what you’re thinkin’, fox. Forget it.” A quick sniff told Nick two more mammals were behind him. A wolf and a badger, and something about one of them smelled familiar.

Suddenly a larger mammal, most likely the wolf, grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against a wall. Nick finally found his voice. “Hey now, I was just--”

The wolf growled and interrupted Nick. “Quiet, fox. And don’t move. I won’t ask again.” Someone patted Nick down, pulling out his tranq gun. After that, Nick felt someone lift the wallet out of his back pocket, and again he silently cursed himself for not leaving it in the car.

There was a pause, followed by a few shuffling noises. “Nick Wilde, eh? Now I know you ain’t goin’ anywhere, because Boris will definitely wanna talk to you.”

Seconds later, Nick's arms were pinned behind his back. A bag was roughly shoved over his head, and the world went dark.


	13. Chapter 13

The arctic fox preened in the mirror for a few moments and adjusted the antique hair comb her mother had given her. Karla had to think hard to remember how long it had been since she’d last spoken to her mom. Over five years ago, she finally decided. Aside from John, Karla hadn’t seen another fox since then, and she wanted to look her best for the one they’d brought in last night. 

Karla looked at her reflection in the mirror and her eyes were drawn to the shock collar she wore on her neck. Thinking of John always reminded her of it, her punishment for sneaking off to the warehouse and trying to use the tod’s old phone weeks ago. She could probably remove the collar, but if Boris saw her without it on… Karla shuddered. She didn’t want to disobey the wolverine, because Boris had killed mammals for less.

Karla put a tiny dab of perfume on her neck and forehead. She noticed the bottle was almost empty and sighed. Given how angry Boris was with her, it would be awhile until she saw more. The vixen fluffed the fur on her head one last time and adjusted her sweater to hide the shock collar. If she could get something useful out of the new fox, maybe Boris would allow her to remove the device.

Karla wrapped her jacket tightly around herself before she stepped into the courtyard. Stray snowflakes fell from a gray sky as she hurried through the waist deep drifts. She bent low against the cutting wind and avoided looking at the rusting razor wire atop the crumbling walls of Butryka prison.

The vixen made her way through the large open room that served as a garage, where several vehicles were in varying states of repair, and walked down a long hallway to the room with a row of cells, all empty save one.

Karla was a little disappointed to find the fox curled up on the bed, asleep. The vixen noticed he was older than she was, and his fur was missing patches in an odd pattern. Still, she couldn't help but admire that he was physically in good shape.

“Whatever it is you’re selling, I’m not buying.” His words made Karla jump, and the vixen realized her gaze had been lingering on the tod a bit too long, causing a spike in her scent that was probably overpowering her perfume. 

Before she could think better of it, Karla blurted out, “I wouldn’t even give you the time of day, much less sell you anything.” The tod sat up and blinked his green eyes at her before he stretched and yawned. She was startled and took a step back when he lept up from the bed and hurried to the bars to look closely at her. 

Karla picked up a scent from the fox, a confusing mix of completely unexpected emotions. Love? Desire? Whatever they were seemed pretty forward, especially after what he’d just said. She noticed him staring at the side of her head and realized he was looking at her hair comb. Karla turned slightly to show it off. “Like it?”

“Yeah, it’s… nevermind.” The change was almost startling, as the raw emotion on his face was quickly masked by a smug grin. “So, what’s a pretty young thing like you doing in a place like this?”

“I’m not young. I’m almost 30,” Karla said petulantly.

The fox extended his paw through the bars. “The name is Nick. Nick Wilde.” When she didn’t move, he added, “I don’t bite. Usually.” His smile made her blush. The vixen remained motionless, so eventually he shrugged and withdrew his paw.

They looked at each other awkwardly for a few heartbeats before his last name finally registered with Karla. “You’re related to John Wilde?”

Several emotions flickered across his face until Nick settled back on a smug grin and half lidded eyes. He nodded. “Probably. It’s a pretty common name. Is he a guest here too?”

Karla chuckled at the last part. If there was one thing she’d learned the hard way, anyone connected with John was trouble. The vixen tried to gather her thoughts to ask him another question, when Nick looked at her neck and asked, “So, are you part of the official welcoming committee, or just another inmate?”

Karla reached up and realized her sweater had betrayed her by shifting to reveal the shock collar. The vixen made a few adjustments and hid it again before she stuck her chin out haughtily. “I can come and go as I please.”

Nick moved to sit back down on the bed. “Great… then could you pick up something from Bug-Burga for me? I’m starving.”

Their talk was definitely not going as Karla had planned. She considered her options and finally said in her silkiest voice, “I can answer your questions, maybe even get you some food, if you answer some of mine.”

Nick looked at her skeptically. “Uh-huh.” He continued to examine her for a few moments and his eyes narrowed. “You’re Karla Lisza, aren’t you? Mother’s name is Olivia?”

The vixen was speechless for a moment before she finally sputtered out, “How… how do you know who I am?”

Karla wanted to reach through the bars and slap the smug look off Nick’s face when he replied, “I’ll answer that question, if you answer one for me first.” She fumed at how easily he’d turned her words around and Nick spoke again. “Who’s this Boris mammal I keep hearing about?”

She looked away and involuntarily touched her collar. “He’s a wolverine you don’t want to mess with.” It was the vixen’s turn to feel smug after she looked sideways at Nick to find him expectantly waiting for her to say more.

Karla wondered if it would be better to try to get information out of him later, when he said contritely, “I realized it when I saw the hair comb. Who you are, I mean.”

The vixen tried and failed to keep the excitement out of her voice. “Do you know my mom? Have you seen--”

Nick shook his head. “You gotta answer one of mine now.” Karla huffed and started to leave. Nick blurted out, “When was the last time you saw your mom?” Something in his voice made the vixen pause. Karla could see him struggling with some internal debate before he took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this-- “

Nick was interrupted as two wolf guards barged in through the open doorway, flanking a fox whom Karla quickly realized was John. She didn’t expect to see him, since he’d been put in isolation after the fiasco with his phone. The vixen’s surprise quickly turned to anger. “John, you asshole. What happened to my mom?”

But the older tod was too distracted to hear her. “Nicky? Is it really you?” Nick tensed and John stepped closer to the bars for a better look. “Nicky, it’s so good to see--”

Karla was surprised at how quickly Nick moved when he snarled and leapt forward to yank John’s shirt roughly, pulling the older tod against the bars with a loud crash.

As the wolves cursed and tried to separate the two foxes, Karla shivered at Nick’s sudden aggressive turn. His flashing teeth and low growl made her stomach flutter and Karla blushed when she realized how much his predatory behavior turned her on. She felt almost disappointed when the guards separated the foxes and moved John to the empty cell at the end of the row.

Nick glared at John, who rubbed his arm and looked back with obvious discomfort. After locking John in the cell, the guards left through the door in the far side of the room, and eventually both foxes turned to glance at Karla before they moved to sit on their beds.

They probably wouldn’t say anything while she was there, so Karla said, “I’ll leave and let you boys catch up.”

The vixen turned to walk out the open doorway and she heard Nick say, “Make sure to get my burger without onions.”

She retraced her steps back into the hallway and stopped just outside the room. Neither of the tods could see her, but she was close enough to hear them. Karla quietly sat down on the floor and waited.

After a few minutes John spoke first. “You didn’t have to smash me against the bars so hard, I wasn’t going to say anything dumb. Unfortunately they figured out you’re my son already.”

“Sorry I’m such a disappointment to--”  
John cut him off. “I didn’t mean it that way. Look, Nicky, let me--”

“Stop calling me that. And thanks for getting me involved in… whatever the hell this is,  _ dad _ .” The sarcastic emphasis on the last word made Karla wince.

“How did you find me?”

“We don’t have time to go over that right now.” There was a pause before Nick said in an accusing voice, “Seriously, you took Ma’s comb and gave it to some vixen?”

“Your mom threw it at me the last time we spoke.”

There was a long silence before Nick asked, “Where are we, and who is this Boris mammal I keep hearing about?”

“We’re in an abandoned prison somewhere outside Northlund where Boris and his band of idiots hang out. I’ve been here since right after I got picked up at the hospital.” He paused and cleared his throat. “Boris… he’s in charge. He’s a dangerous wolverine, Nicky. Don’t mess with him. I’m not kidding, Boris is a mammal you do not want to play games with.”

“So what’s the cute little vixen’s story? Karla. Is she your daughter?”

“No, but I feel… responsible for her.

Nick laughed humorlessly. “Well, at least you feel that way about someone.”

John sighed. “I didn’t want Boris to find out about you and Ma, so I left. I sent your mom money whenever I could. She never knew where I was, though. And I never stayed in one place for long. Until I met Olivia.” Karla’s breath caught when she heard her mother’s name and John continued speaking. “She was a wonderful vixen, but honestly Olivia was just a distraction to help me forget about your mom. And then Boris found out that I was living with her… Nicky, he murdered Olivia to get to me.”

Karla was stunned. It was bad enough John had lied to her all these years about her mom, but to find out he was directly responsible for her death filled the vixen with rage. She barely heard the rest of what John said until he spoke her name.

“Karla went missing, so I tried to see you at the hospital, to ask for your help finding--”

John was interrupted by Nick’s angry words. “Why didn’t you come talk to us sooner? You know Ma’s dead, right?”

“I heard that she--”

“And you couldn’t even be bothered to show up at her funeral?”

John almost whined as he said, “I was afraid, ok? Look, I don’t want to argue about--”

Nick cut him off with a snarl. “Yeah, well, I do.”

Karla’s attention again drifted from their conversation, which became more heated as Nick and John hurled increasingly angry words back and forth. She gulped and fought back tears. Karla tried not to think about her mom, until she finally shook her head. There would be plenty of time for mourning later.

The vixen realized the two tods had been quiet for several moments before John’s shaky voice finally broke the silence. “I love both of you.” Nick made a rude noise, but John continued talking in a quiet voice. “I do. I know what Boris does to the families of mammals who cross him, and I couldn’t stand the thought that either of you would be hurt or killed because of me. I’ve had quite a bit of time to think about my mistakes. I’m a coward, and I regret everything I did that took me away from you and Ma.”

Silence descended again for a few minutes before Karla heard someone open the door on the opposite side of the room. John said urgently, “They’re coming to take me to see Boris. Remember what I said about him.”

If Boris was hurrying back from wherever he was to hold audience today, Karla wanted to be there for that. She heard the low murmur of the two wolf guards talking and the sound of a cell being unlocked. Karla strained to listen while John spoke again, his voice plaintive. “When the time comes… bury me next to Ma? I don’t deserve it, but I’d like to know I’ll end up next to her again someday.”

One of the wolves snarled, “Hurry up, runt. The boss is almost here, and you don’t wanna keep him waiting.”

Karla heard a series of noises as the wolves took John from the cell. Only after the guards left and the room was silent again did she hear Nick quietly begin to weep.

 


	14. Chapter 14

Karla knew Nick must have heard her coming, since she found him sitting stoically and staring at the wall when she stepped through the door. The vixen tried not to look at him as she made her way to the opposite side of the room.

After walking out the door and up a flight of stairs, Karla found herself in the empty gallery overlooking the throne room. She grimly chuckled to herself; of course, no mammal dared call it that in front of Boris.

Karla gazed down into the room, where long ago incorrigible criminals had once been executed, and saw several mammals gathered around the large wooden chair where Boris would sit while he held court.

The vixen scanned the room for John, and spotted him standing between the two wolf guards. They were at the end of a line of mammals waiting to speak to Boris, behind one of the other guards she despised, a wolverine named Cecil. Aside from Boris, he was the only wolverine in the compound, and Karla was pretty sure the two were distantly related. For the longest time, Cecil had been a raging drunk, but lately he’d calmed down somewhat. What Karla hated about him were his constant demands that she bring him things from the kitchen, as if she were some servant to be ordered around.

The room grew quiet when Boris burst through the door, followed by his raccoon second in command and several other mammals. Once Boris was comfortably seated, he addressed the room. “Do my eyes and ears have anything to report?”

Karla found it odd that the only time Boris ever used a mammal’s name was when he was angry with them. The vixen nervously reached up and touched the shock collar on her neck, a reminder of how lucky she’d been the one and only time Boris had uttered her name.

A badger stepped forward and shook his head. “No sir. We ain’t seen nobody near the warehouse since we caught the fox.”

“And his car?”

“We drove it to the train station an’ left it like you asked. Locked it up an’ didn’ touch nuthin’.”

Boris nodded. “Good… very good.”

Karla watched in silence, while the wolverine spoke with each mammal in line, until it was finally Cecil’s turn. Boris motioned him to step forward and said, “Are we taking our medication?” Cecil nodded and Boris smiled. “Excellent. We don’t want to be punished again, do we?”

Karla had forgotten that Cecil was taking medication. She was trying to remember what it was, when Boris dismissed Cecil and nodded at the two wolves guarding John.

The wolves roughly pushed the tod forward, and the wolverine’s voice cut through the room with an icy sharpness. “Ahh, Wilde. My ears told me about your little reunion. I had no idea you’d managed to hide your family from me so well. No matter. Tomorrow we’ll have a most festive celebration in the pit, and you two will be the guests of dishonor.”

There were jeers from the other mammals in the room, and Karla’s heart sank. She shuddered and remembered the one and only pit match she’d ever watched. A weasel had been injected with a large dose of nightshade, and Karla left after he savagely tore the eye out of his much larger opponent.

Boris stood and the room quieted. “Put him back in isolation.” He clapped his paws together. “There is much to arrange before tomorrow. I’ll talk with the traitor’s son later. Bring the car around.”

As Boris and his entourage left the room, Karla knew what would happen tomorrow: either Nick or John, or most likely both of them, would die. John was a jerk, but even he didn’t deserve that. And Nick… her heart twisted at the realization that he’d be hurt, or worse.

So much death surrounded Boris. Karla thought of her mother again, and angry tears streamed down her face. She hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself before, but the more Karla considered it, the more it became clear that Boris was probably responsible for her mother’s death.

 

***

 

A few hours later, Karla was on her way back to Nick’s cell, holding a sandwich. She needed some answers, and food seemed like a good way to get them.

The vixen found Nick sleeping fitfully. She paused hesitantly, trying to decide if she should wake him up, when he surprised her with a single whispered word. 

“Judy.”

She felt a sudden surge of jealousy. “Who’s Judy?”

Nick lurched awake with a yawn and smiled at Karla. The vixen repeated her question and the tod gazed at her with half-lidded eyes. “Oh, just a friend.” Nick sniffed and licked his lips when he noticed the sandwich. “Hey, thanks for bringing me something to eat.” Karla handed him the food. He sat on the bed and quickly devoured the sandwich before he spoke. “Can I ask you a question?”

Nick smiled when Karla replied, “I’ll answer your question, if you answer one of mine first.“

He shrugged. “Alright, ask away.”

“Who murdered my mother?”

Nick’s face turned grim and he replied, “I honestly don’t know. And I’m sorry you had to hear about it from me.” He smiled wanly. “And since you just answered my question about whether or not you were eavesdropping earlier, I’ll have to think of something else to ask.” He noticed the embarrassed look on Karla’s face and laughed. “Don’t worry about it, I would’ve done the same thing.  Sometimes it’s the only way to get the truth, when you can’t trust someone.”

Nick looked somber and stared at the ground. Karla realized that the tod really did feel bad about breaking the news to her. Normally she would take advantage of that, to get what she wanted, but she realized she wasn’t sure what that was anymore.

Nick cleared his throat. “Where’s my dad?”

Karla shrugged. “I’m pretty sure he’s locked up in the same room he’s been in for awhile, on the other side of the building.”

Nick nodded. “Is he being guarded?”

Karla could see where this was headed. She started to demand that he answer one of her questions first, before she realized there wasn’t a reason for her to do that anymore. She was done working for Boris. In fact, as far as she was concerned, the wolverine could go straight to hell.

Karla blurted out, “I’ll help you escape, if you take me with you.” Nick stiffened, then looked at her hopefully when she added, “I think Boris killed my mom. I don’t have any proof, but it makes sense.”

Nick nodded. “Okay, but only if you help my dad escape too.”

Karla made a rude noise. “Why do you want to help him?”

He sighed. “I like to think even assholes deserve a second chance now and then.” The disarming smile Nick gave her before he spoke again made her stomach flutter. “Thank you, Karla. I really mean it.”

Karla gingerly crouched against the wall next to the cell door and they sat quietly for awhile. Eventually Nick asked, “We need to get the key to my cell. Know where it is?”

“The guards keep it in the desk in the guardroom.”

“What about that camera up there?” Nick nodded his head slightly towards the far corner of the ceiling where it was hanging.

Karla didn’t turn her head and spoke softly. “They all feed into the guardroom up the hall. The guards hardly ever look at them, though.”

Nick nodded. “Any ideas on how we could distract the guard?”

Karla scrunched up her brow in concentration. “The one coming on duty soon, he gets sick sometimes. I think he’s on some kind of medication.” She tried again to remember what Cecil was taking. “An… abu… abuse, or something?”

Nick nodded and a smile crept onto his face.  “Does he drink? Alcohol, I mean?”

Karla shook her head. “He used to, but not anymore.”

“Is he taking antabuse?”

Karla nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

Nick smiled. “Ok, that gives me an idea...”

 

***

 

Twenty minutes later, Karla smiled to herself after Cecil bolted out of the guardroom into the adjoining bathroom. She was surprised at the severity of his reaction to the small amount of vinegar she’d slipped into his coffee. Karla grabbed a chair and jammed it under the doorknob while she tried not to laugh at the sound of Cecil retching violently. She had to admit, Nick was one clever fox.

Karla opened the desk drawer and grabbed the key. She eyed Cecil’s cellphone on the desk, but she decided to leave it, since there was no cell reception this far out of town anyway. The vixen hurried to Nick’s cell, and found the tod waiting expectantly. After she unlocked the door, Nick quickly stepped out and said, “The gas leak in the kitchen-”

Karla cut him off. “Yeah, we should hurry.” She handed him the key and said, “Follow me.”

After cautiously creeping through several dark deserted hallways, they arrived at a metal door with a small window. Nick peeked inside and seconds later John’s surprised face appeared. Nick stuck the key in the lock, but when it wouldn’t turn he cursed quietly and whispered, “It doesn’t fit.”

John’s voice was muffled by the thick glass as he said glumly, “Just leave me here.”

Nick shook his head. “That’s not gonna happen.”

As the tods argued, Karla noticed a nearby open door. Every time she’d tried it before, the door had been locked. She started to investigate, but Nick gently grabbed her shoulder and plucked the comb from her head.

Karla scowled. “What are you--”

“Hang on, I’ve got an idea.” He looked at the metal comb for a moment, before he quietly mumbled to himself, “Sorry Ma,” and snapped two of the teeth off.

“Hey!”

Nick stuffed the comb into his pocket and carefully started bending the small pieces of metal. “Keep it down. Don’t worry, I’ll get it fixed for you after we get out of here.”

Karla figured she could lift the comb out of his pocket later, and she tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach after hearing Nick mention that he wanted to see her after all this was over. 

“They’re going to catch us if you don’t hurry up,” she said crossly.

Nick smirked as he started working on the lock. “Have some faith, sweetheart. I may be a little rusty, but I’ll get it open.”

While the tod worked on the lock, Karla decided to investigate the storeroom. She stepped inside, and was surprised to see it was empty, except for a metal box sitting on a table. She opened it and peeked inside to find it was filled with vials carefully packed in foam. Karla pulled one out and immediately recognized the dull blue liquid inside them.  _ Nightshade _ .

The vixen was dumbstruck; each vial easily held a half-dozen doses, which meant the entire box was worth a fortune. She hoped Nick wouldn’t disappear out of her life after they escaped, but deep down Karla couldn’t help but worry that she’d be on her own again, and a score like this would get her back on her feet.

The vial slipped from Karla’s grasp when Nick popped through the doorway and said, “Ok, let’s go.” The nightshade rolled along the table and fell off the end, before Nick stepped forward and caught it deftly with one paw. He eyed the vial and added, “You should be more careful with these.”

Karla blurted out, “ This is evidence, we shouldn’t leave it behind.”

The words sounded lame, even to her own ears, but Nick sighed and rolled his eyes. “Ok, whatever. Let’s just grab it and get out of here already.” He slipped the vial into his front shirt pocket and reached for the box, but Karla hurriedly snatched it up first.

“I’ve got it.” She clutched it tightly and added, “We need to get to the yard where the vehicles are.”

John peeked his head through the doorway. “What’s the holdup?”

 

The three foxes headed down a hallway past several empty rooms, until Nick stopped to look in the window of the only door that was closed. “What the hell?”

Karla looked in the room and saw a dozen younger mammals crowded inside, some lazily watching a television, while the rest drew with crayons or played games by themselves.

John said, “They’re the children of mammals that Boris is holding hostage so their parents will help him.”

Nick gave his father a surprised look. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He tried to open the door before he noticed there was a latch holding it closed. Nick reached up to pull it back, but Karla grabbed his paw. “We should go. They’ll only slow us down.”

Nick shook his head. “There’s no way in hell I’m leaving these kits behind.”

Karla glared at him petulantly and said, “Haven’t you rescued enough useless mammals already today? We have to get--” She was interrupted by a faraway explosion and the shriek of the fire alarm. “See? There’s our diversion. We have to get out of here. Now.”

Nick looked at her sadly for a moment, before he turned away and spoke to John. “Dad, I need you to go on ahead and find a vehicle large enough for all of us.” John hurried down the corridor and Karla huffed. She started to follow him, but  Nick grabbed her arm and said in a teasing voice, “I was hoping you’d help herd the kits, since you have such a sparkling personality.”

He swung the door open and the mammals inside turned to look at him and murmur quietly as they gazed at the foxes uncertainly.

Nick said in a loud whisper, “Everyone out. And please be quiet.” The young mammals warily left the room and milled around uncertainly in the hallway.

Karla watched while Nick tried to coax a small trembling rabbit out from under a bed. The vixen heard the tod say something about a runaway bunny, and to her surprise, the kit smiled and hopped up into his arms.

As Nick emerged from the room carrying the rabbit, Karla hissed, “Why do you care about prey animals so much?”

He didn’t reply. Instead, Nick made a shushing noise and jogged past her down the hallway, the gaggle of kits close behind him. Karla followed after as best she could, though the heavy box slowed her down.

Minutes later, the vixen finally caught up with them when she pushed her way through a battered metal door and was temporarily dazzled by sunlight. Ahead, Nick was already loading the kits into the back of a truck. The midday sun reflecting off the snow was painfully bright as Karla raced across the yard towards the idling vehicle. She arrived just as Nick climbed onto the truck bumper and placed the bunny in the crowded truck bed. There was no more room in the back, so the tod clung to the tailgate. Karla hopped up next to him, still clutching the box under one arm.

Nick shook his head. “For Pete’s sake, just leave it behind, or give it to one of the kits.”

Suddenly a door opened on the far side of the courtyard and two mammals charged out, shouting and racing towards the vehicle. The truck lurched forward with a jerk, and Karla lost her grip. As she fell, the vixen latched onto Nick and pulled him loose, causing both foxes to slam to the ground. There was a crash, followed by a loud tinkling of glass after the box fell from Karla’s paws.

The vixen sat up and watched helplessly as the truck smashed through the closed front gate and barreled away. Karla heard Nick whine loudly, and when she looked at him, her breath hitched. His muzzle was twisted into a hideous grimace, and the tod slowly reached into his shirt pocket, where a small circle of crimson was already spreading across the bright fabric.

Nick withdrew a trembling paw to reveal the broken vial of nightshade. Karla flinched when he spoke in an odd growling voice, and uttered a single word.

“Run.”


	15. Chapter 15

Time slowed for Nick. His stomach clenched, and a murderous rage filled him. Thoughts surged through his head in a thunderous jumble, and the world tilted.

Nick caught a familiar scent before the badger stepped forward, swinging something at his head. He dodged and lunged forward with a snarl. The badger raised his arms and stepped back in surprise. Nick felt his jaws on the badger’s throat, and the smell of blood filled his nostrils.

A large gray blur leapt at Nick. He released the badger’s neck and rolled away, growling. Leaping. Biting. More blood. He turned to look at the white fox, and she ran.

Suddenly his mother towered over Nick and he froze. Ma seemed unreasonably huge. Forbidding. She spoke in a scolding voice.  _ Don’t you dare pick on that little vixen. _

Nick snarled and raced after the white shape, except when he got closer it was Judy, who laughed and ran ahead of him. He smelled the dampness of the Rainforest District, and the jaguar crashed through the brush behind them.  _ He had to keep her safe _ .

Nick caught up to Judy, but something was wrong. She picked up a branch and snarled at him, and he responded with a low guttural growl. The scent of her fear was even stronger than the overpowering smell of blood, along with something else.  _ Desire _ .

Judy looked at him, her eyes half lidded, before she pushed him onto his back and leapt over him. They were in her apartment, and Nick chased her through the living room. She laughed and dodged back and forth. He chased Judy until she was cornered.

But it wasn’t Judy. It was a white fox. A vixen. He slowly circled, snarling, and she waved a branch at him. Except then it was Judy again, frozen, her paw hovering over the fox repellent at her hip.

He paused, confused, and the branch crashed down on his skull. Rage filled him. He howled and leapt forward, jaws closing on flesh. But he didn’t bite down. Time seemed to freeze as Judy held him close, gasping his name into his ear and shuddering. He growled out her name and Judy tried to pull away, but he didn’t let her go. He bit down, and a voice screamed in terror. An electric jolt coursed through him, and he opened his jaws with a yelp. The white shape fled, and he gave chase. It was almost dark, and it was hard to make out the vixen against the snow.

A cold wind pulled at his fur. Suddenly he was falling, rolling end over end, before his head slammed into something hard. Pain, then a silent void.

He looked at his mom in the hospital bed. Still. Lifeless. But her voice whispered,  _ make your way home, Nick _ . The name felt like a physical blow. His name, Nick realized. Now it felt like he was on fire. Burning.

He woke up, but he couldn’t see anything. A memory of a gray fox’s eyeless face made him howl in terror. He panicked before he realized he was face down in the snow. He’d never felt this cold before. He rolled onto his back. It was nighttime. Stars burned bright above him in the pitch black sky. 

“Judy.” The whispered name escaped his cracked and swollen lips, and her smiling face banished the gruesome vision of the blind fox. He stood, teetering, almost falling, before he stumbled forward. Paws reached out and brushed against his body. He smelled pine trees and heard them whispering. He kept going, looking at the ground, snow crunching under his feet. The whispers stopped, replaced by a deep buzzing noise and the smell of smoke. Fire. Stu smiled at him from across the campfire.  _ My daughter really loves you, son _ .

He was alone in the dark forest. He walked for an eternity. It was hard to move, but he marched on, arms and legs feeling like frozen lead.  _ Make your way home, Nick _ . This time it was Judy’s voice. She was on the bed, black t-shirt hugging her curves as she sprawled out in front of him. The morning light streamed through the window behind her. She smiled at him invitingly.  _ I desire you, Nick Wilde. _

The light behind her became searingly bright, hurting his eyes. He fell. Cold icy hardness. A loud rumbling noise, followed by the screech of tires. He looked up, then closed his eyes against the glare. Voices. Nick thought he heard one ask,  _ Is he dead? _ More noises. Paws grabbed him. He flinched and tried to pull away, but he was too exhausted to do anything except quietly growl.

Nick opened his eyes to look into the brightness again and saw a red blur. A vixen. He smelled the sweet scent of her perfume. The name came unbidden to his lips. “Ma.”

All the pain left his body. He was warm. It felt like he was floating. Nick closed his eyes again and smiled when he felt her arms wrap around him in a loving embrace. He began to weep when he heard her say, “I’ve been waiting for you, Nicky. Welcome home.”


	16. Chapter 16

_ It’s been years since I wrote in my journal, but I figured I’d give it a try after my therapist said writing might help me work through this. Except every time I sit down to write, I just stare at the blank page. How do I even put a loss like this into words? _

 

Judy paced back and forth in the empty waiting room on the third floor of Zootopia General Hospital. She paused when an otter surgeon stepped through a nearby door.

The otter walked towards Judy with a quizzical look on his face, and she blurted out, “Before you ask, yes, I really am Nick’s designated medical contact.”

The otter nodded. “The fasciotomy closure went well, and his limbs should recover in a few weeks, though he’ll need physical therapy after that."

Judy listened to the rest of the updates from the doctor as he explained everything Nick was still recovering from:  frostbite of his extremities, concussion, broken ribs, exposure. The otter looked nervous for a moment, before he finally finished with, “Based on similar cases, we think he’ll be conscious in the next few days.”

Judy’s ears drooped. “Will he be… what about his brain, will he recover?”

The otter did his best to give her a comforting smile. “The CT scans look promising. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

 

_ I was on a train headed to Northlund, when a polar bear couple found Nick wandering in the woods. He ended up getting airlifted to Zootopia, so I turned around and came back home. _

_ It was terrifying when I finally got to see him in the hospital. Even though Nick was unconscious, he was snarling, trembling, and spent long stretches of time incoherently rambling. _

_ At least I didn’t lose him, not physically anyway. He’s lucky to be alive, considering that on top of everything else, he came really close to terminally overdosing on nightshade. _

 

Judy paced back and forth in the darkened room, pausing every now and then to look at Nick’s still form on the bed, before continuing to do her best to wear a path in the linoleum floor. She wondered for the hundredth time how much longer it would be before she was driven insane by the constant beeping of the machines monitoring his vital signs, when he spoke.

“Karla.”

Judy froze, unsure if she’d actually heard Nick.

His voice was a dry mumble when he spoke again. “Karla, I’m sorry.”

“Nick?” Judy moved to touch him, but stopped after remembering the last time, when a large clump of his fur had come off in her paw.

His breathing shifted. He sniffed once and smiled before he opened his eyes. He licked his dry lips for a few moments and then said, “Hey Carrots.” Judy looked at him uncertainly through the mass of tubes and wires. Nick patted the bed next to him. “Come over here.”  Judy was surprised by how rough his voice was, and his dilated pupils gave him an eerie, haunted look.  Even though his arms were restrained, Nick did his best to return Judy’s hug.

“Nick, I… I’m sorry--”

Judy started to pull away, but he pressed his muzzle down along her spine to keep her close. “Later. We’ll talk later. Just hugging now.” After a few quiet moments, Nick shifted so she could pull away and he added,  “Don’t worry Fluff, I’m fine.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she said, “I swear, you’d say that even if you lost an arm and were bleeding out.”

Nick glanced down at the rest of his body and spoke softly. “Looks like I came pretty close.” He briefly wiggled his extremities before he asked, “How long have I been out?”

Judy replied, “Almost a week.”

She eyed his restraints, but Nick noticed and shook his head. “How about we let the doc decide when it’s safe to let me loose?” Judy nodded and pressed the button to call the nurse while Nick closed his eyes and fell back into the bed. “What about my dad? And Karla, and the kits?”

“We still don’t know what happened to either your dad or Karla.” Judy briefly debated if telling him more would worry him unnecessarily, before she decided to continue. “The truck you tried to escape in slid off the road. Mammals were airlifted to several nearby hospitals afterwards, and we still haven’t sorted it all out. The Northlund precinct is in total chaos, while they search for the criminals who were holding you captive and also try to locate the parents of the kits you rescued. Chief Bogo went up yesterday with a few other officers to help sort it out.”

“My dad was driving the truck--”

“The Chief is looking into it. Speaking of which, he wanted me to let him know when you woke up.” She kept talking as she pulled out her phone and texted Clawhauser. “We suspected the other two foxes in the videos were your father and Karla Lisza.”

“Videos?”

Judy nodded. “From surveillance tapes recovered at the abandoned prison.” She hit the send button and looked back up at Nick and smiled.

He inhaled a few times before he spoke again. “Seems like I’ve missed a lot while I was out.”

Judy’s phone dinged, and she glanced at the text message. “Clawhauser said he hopes you are doing ok, and that the Chief will come by tomorrow when he gets back.” Judy paused uncertainly, unsure of what else to say, until she remembered the crayon drawing in her shoulder bag and pulled it out. “I almost forgot, Peggy drew this for you. She kept begging me to smuggle her in here, but I told her she'd have to wait until you were moved to a regular room.” Nick smiled after Judy held up the scribbly crayon drawing of a small rabbit holding a fox’s paw.

She placed the drawing on the table next to the bed and Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he asked, “How long have you been pregnant?”

The suddenness of the question caught Judy off guard. Her breath hitched, and she burst into tears.

 

_ I was trying to find a way to talk to him about the eggs, but I should have known he’d figure it out on his own. Of course with that nose of his, Nick could smell my hormones were still out of whack, even though I’d stopped taking them a few days ago when the ultrasound showed none of the eggs had implanted. _

_ I feel so much guilt about everything. The doctor told me these things happen, and I didn’t do anything wrong... _

_ I didn’t realize how much I needed to talk to Nick, and how good he could be at listening when it really mattered. It’s funny, because he got more out of me in ten minutes than the therapist did this past week. _

_ I feel like such a jerk. Even though Nick was the one in the hospital, he spent all afternoon comforting me. _

 

Judy peeked through the observation window to find Nick watching television, and was glad to see that his restraints had been removed. When she entered the room, Nick turned off the TV. He held out his arms and waggled his eyebrows. “Come here so I can give you a proper hug.” They held each other quietly for a few moments before he spoke again. “I’ve had awhile to think about things, and I’m sorry I left without telling you goodbye.”

“Nick--”

“Let me finish. I really left things a mess, especially if Herd Corp pulls their sponsorship from the new warren...”

Judy smiled. “It’s ok, Clawhauser fixed it.”

“Seriously?  How?”

“Well, it turns out Gazelle threatened to drop them as a sponsor after our favorite chubby cheetah, who just happens to be the secretary of her online fan club, let her know what was going on.”

“No way.”

Judy nodded. “Especially after the story of you saving all those kits hit the news. You're a hero now, Slick.”

Nick looked uncomfortable at the last part, but b efore Judy could ask him what was wrong, he looked out the observation window behind her and said, “I see Chief Buffalo Butt is finally here, maybe I’ll get--”

Nick’s muzzle snapped shut, and he whimpered. Judy turned to look over her shoulder, just in time to see the Chief take off his glasses and slowly put them in his pocket.

 

_ The truck that Nick and the other mammals were trying to escape in slid off the road. It ended up in a frozen river, and while everyone in the back was able to escape with minor injuries, John was trapped in the cab and drowned. Even though he tried to hide it, Nick took the news about his father’s death really hard, and I could see him shutting down as the Chief spoke.  _

_ Nick had to sign a few things so his dad’s body could be moved to Zootopia. After that, Chief Bogo said someone would be coming by to take Nick’s statement regarding the two mammals he attacked while he was escaping. I was surprised when the Chief asked me to leave the room, but I suppose they needed to discuss what was coming. Even though Nick was dosed up on nightshade, the deaths still need to be investigated. _

_ Officer Delgato arrived to keep watch over Nick’s room. The Chief isn’t really worried about the mammals that held Nick captive, but Marmota has been seen lurking around the hospital, so it seems like a good idea to have an officer around to keep an eye on things. _

 

Judy stuffed her journal into her shoulder bag when several mammals arrived and entered Nick’s room. Before she could follow them, Chief Bogo crouched and stepped through the small doorway. He paused and turned to look back at Nick. “I’m sorry for your loss, Officer Wilde.” The Chief closed the door behind him and nodded at Delgato before he said, “Walk with me, Hopps.”

They made their way towards the elevators, and Bogo spoke again. “Marmota is under investigation, and I’m giving you an assignment related to the case. I need you to go through previous issues of the  _ Zootopia Gossip _ and make a list of the mammals he’s targeted in the past. But before that, you need some rest. Go home, Hopps. Wilde can’t have any visitors while he’s being examined by that herd of specialists, and then they’re moving him to a regular room. Rest and come back tomorrow, that’s an order.” Judy started to complain, and he knelt down on one knee and said in a soft voice, “I know you were planning on asking for maternity leave. Both of you have losses to deal with right now. If you fight me on this, I’ll order you to take time off anyway.” Judy swallowed nervously and nodded before the Chief continued. “You’ll be working with Clawhauser. He’ll drop off the magazines here tomorrow.”

Judy realized that Chief Bogo was giving her an assignment she could work on while spending time with Nick in the hospital. “Thank you, Chief.”

Bogo snorted. “Don’t thank me. I’m giving you the work no one else wanted.”

 

_ I see what the Chief meant now; I felt like I needed brain bleach after reading the first magazine. But what was it Bun Tzu said?  _ **_Know your enemy_ ** _. So lately, I’ve been torturing my way through these terrible articles and compiling a list of every mammal Marmota has smeared over the years. _

_ I picked up a new phone for Nick, so he wouldn’t feel as isolated at the hospital when I’m not around. I’ll have to remember to get him an orange case later, so we can tell them apart, since it’s the same model as mine. _

_ Speaking of Nick, I’m happy to report that some of my family have been visiting him in the hospital. What’s more surprising is I didn’t even have to mention it first… they just started coming by on their own. _

 

Judy stepped through the door of Nick’s room and froze. Hovering next to his bed was a mammal she’d never seen before, a vixen dressed in dark scrubs. The early morning sunlight slanted in the window and highlighted her bright red fur.

“Hey Carrots, this is Miss...” Nick looked at the other fox questioningly.

The vixen gently put her paw on Nick’s arm and said in a sultry voice, “Please, you should call me Lexi.”

The  _ save me _ look on Nick’s face almost made Judy giggle, but she kept her tone serious when she spoke. “Nice to meet you, Lexi. I’m Officer Hopps, and I need to have a word with Officer Wilde, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.” Lexi sauntered towards the door and said over her shoulder, “You’ve got my number.”

Judy did her best not to slam the door behind the vixen before she turned to look at Nick and cross her arms.

Nick laughed. “Thanks for getting rid of her. And don’t worry Carrots, there’s nobunny but you in my life.” Judy rolled her eyes and he added, “Could you do me a favor? She put her number in my phone, and I’d appreciate it if you could delete it for me.” He nodded towards the device, which was charging on a table out of his reach.

Judy opened his contacts and snorted when she found Lexi’s number at the very top. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy, and Judy tried to keep her tone casual. “You sure you want me to delete it, Slick? She put hearts around her name and everything.” 

“Fluff…” Nick stopped speaking and sniffed before he said, “Huh.”

Judy’s finger hovered over the delete button. “What?”

“I just… I know Hazel is bringing Peggy by again later this week. I don’t suppose you could ask Zeke to come too?”

 

_ Well, there’s something, Nick asking to talk to Zeke. At first I thought he was just trying to distract me from his mysterious vixen visitor, but Nick kept insisting he and Zeke needed to have a long overdue conversation.  _

_ At least Peggy was finally able to come by for a visit. She’s been bugging everyone about getting to see Nick for over two weeks now. _

 

Judy exited the elevator and found Hazel and Peggy waiting outside Nick’s room.

Hazel asked, “How are you holding up?”

Judy shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” She hugged both of the other bunnies in turn and was about to speak again when Zeke emerged from Nick’s room. And to everyone's amazement, he was _smiling._

Hazel scooped up Peggy and said, “Sorry Judy, we’ve got to run and pick up the other kits. I’ll call you later?” Judy stopped gaping at Zeke and nodded to Hazel before she went into Nick’s room.

To Judy’s surprise, Nick also had a large goofy grin plastered on his face. “You’re looking even more smug than usual. Did you finally convince Zeke to get over his specist attitudes?”

Nick smirked and shook his head. “It was never about that, at least not really. Remember when he was busy working on the new warren? He was there so much, he hardly ever saw his family.”

Judy nodded, and Nick paused dramatically before he said, “Well, since Peggy liked spending time with me so much… basically, Zeke was jealous.”


	17. Chapter 17

[Author's note: While still rated T,  this chapter contains a brief non-graphic description of a potentially dubcon situation.]

 

_ No charges were filed against Nick for the deaths of the two mammals at the prison in Northlund. He’s still working through some lingering guilt from that and the way he left things with his dad, but he’s been seeing a counselor, and I think it’s helping. _

_ Speaking of which, he’s agreed that we should start seeing a counselor together. In fact, it seems like he’s being overly accommodating to everything these days, which feels… off. I know he’s been having nightmares, and I can’t help but feel something else is really bothering Nick. I’ll just have to give him time. _

_ The first thing Nick did when he finally got out of the hospital was say goodbye to his father. _

 

Birds twittered in the nearby trees, and a soft spring breeze ruffled the grass as Nick and Judy quietly watched while a gopher lowered John’s casket into the ground. Several more gophers solemnly stood several yards away, shovels in hand. After a few moments, Nick nodded to them, before he turned and knelt to place flowers on his mother’s headstone. He gently rested his paw on the ground and spoke with a hushed voice.

“Well Ma, you paid for the adjoining plot, and it still has his name on it, so I’m gonna assume you’re ok with Pa being here next to you.” Judy moved to stand silently beside Nick. Several moments later, he stood up and brushed the dust off his pants. He looked at her and said, “You doin’ ok?”

Judy gave him a wry grin. “I’m supposed to be the one asking you that.” She sighed and added, “Today’s not about me...”

Nick rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly with one paw, then glanced over at the waiting gophers. “You know what, let’s go for a walk so these folks can do their job.” Nick grabbed her paw, and they slowly made their way down a footpath towards the small pond that stood between the cemetery and a nearby park.

They were both silent, but a few times Judy caught him sneaking glances at her. He was waiting for her to speak, but she didn’t say anything until they reached a bench on a small bluff overlooking the pond. They both sat and she said, “It’s weird, I still don’t feel any… closure, if that makes sense. It sounds dumb, because I know the loss of a few clumps of cells is nowhere near the same thing as the loss of your dad, but-”

Nick interrupted her. “I get it. And don’t ignore your losses because of mine, Fluff.” He pulled her close with one arm and stared out across the pond for a few minutes before Judy heard him inhale deeply. She looked up to see a smile teasing at the corner of his mouth. He gazed down at her and said, “Thank you for being here with me today, Judy.”

 

_ Several officers had expressed interest in coming to the funeral, and a surprising number of my family did too, but Nick wanted to keep the service small. I thought back to the herd of mammals who came to his mother’s funeral, and I can understand why he wanted something more low-key this time. _

_ Nick still isn’t sleeping well, and it’s impacting his performance at work. Chief Bogo yelled at him for taking too long to finish his dad’s missing mammal report, and we ended up getting stuck with desk duty. I was hoping to go on patrol and enjoy the spring day, especially now that I’m finally done working on my part of the Marmota case. I can’t wait for the day we bring him in, because it’s becoming increasingly clear he frequently uses blackmail during his “investigative reporting” to get what he wants. _

_ I’m worried about Nick. He also got in trouble for wasting time on the clock looking for Karla Lisza. If Nick were a buck, I’d be jealous about how obsessively he’s been trying to find her, especially with his other odd behavior. When he isn’t distracted and withdrawn, he’s almost... manic. We’re moving in together at the end of the month, and half the time he disappears to his apartment for days to pack his things up, and the other half of the time he’s overly affectionate. I can’t even remember how many times he’s bought me flowers since he got out of the hospital, or unexpectedly taken me to a fancy restaurant, only to disappear without a word back to his apartment for a day or more. _

_ I’ve got to remember to go get his mom’s hair comb at lunch today. I managed to find someone who could fix it, and I’m hoping it will cheer him up. _

 

Clawhauser always wore his emotions on his sleeve, and Judy could tell something was wrong when she stepped through the front door of ZPD headquarters.

“Hey, Benji, what’s up?”

The cheetah fretted nervously. “Hey, Judy.” He motioned for her to come closer, and spoke with a conspiratorial tone. “I think Nick is in trouble again. The Chief called him into his office an hour ago, and after that Nick left for the rest of the day.”

 

Judy had hoped she and Nick could finish up a few lingering reports from the previous week, but she could probably get the needed files from his computer. Nick didn’t always save his documents on the ZPD fileshare, so instead of coming up with a way to remember to do that, he took the lazy way out and kept a copy of his workstation password in the locked file cabinet they shared. Judy pulled out a manilla folder from the very back of the drawer and rolled her eyes when she saw the crudely drawn rabbit head with crooked buck teeth on the label. She rolled her eyes again and chuckled when she saw  _ LetMyBunBunIn _ scrawled in his barely legible handwriting on the inside of the otherwise empty folder. 

When the computer screen unlocked, Judy found a paused video of a police interview. The interrogation room wasn’t familiar, and she didn’t know who the polar bear officer was, but she recognized the arctic fox being interviewed. It was Karla Lisza. The vixen’s expression in the frozen frame was almost comical, her mouth open and her paw hovering over a bottle of water on the table.

She clicked on the video to move it out of the way, and it started to play automatically:

_ “Yeah, it was. I probably could have fended him off, if I’d wanted to. I mean-” _

Judy hurriedly paused the video, and her throat went dry. Should she watch it? Probably not, since it most likely contained private information about Nick. Was it what Chief Bogo had met with him about earlier, and why he’d left for the day? Though if Nick was in trouble, maybe she should watch it. Judy wanted to help, but she didn’t want to violate his privacy. She wasn’t involved in any case related to the vixen so she couldn’t justify that as a reason to watch it, either.

She was still debating if she should watch it or call Nick first when her phone rang. Judy was relieved when she saw that it was him.

“Nick? Where are you? Are you ok?”

“Hey, Carrots.” There was a long pause. “Judy, I… we need to talk.” She could hear the stress in his voice as he spoke. “This isn’t a conversation we can have on the phone.”

“I know. I logged into your computer and noticed the video, but I didn’t watch it.”

There was a long silence before he finally said, “Go ahead, you should. If you still want to talk to me afterward, I’m waiting at the train station on the north platform.”

He hung up without saying goodbye, and Judy’s heart went cold. The north platform was where trains came and went in and out of Zootopia, so she didn’t have much time.

She really wanted to go straight to Nick, but she should probably see what she was dealing with first. The video was only a few minutes long anyway, so she got her headphones, plugged them in, and restarted the video.

 

_ “Can you tell me what happened after you fell off the truck?” _

_ The vixen looked up at the camera nervously before she answered the officer. “While Nick and I were trying to escape, he was accidentally dosed with nightshade and became extremely aggressive. He attacked and killed two mammals who were trying to stop us.” She shifted uncomfortably and was silent for a moment. “At first I was afraid he was going to attack me too, though I was also…” The vixen sighed. “I was also extremely…” She squirmed in her seat again. She flattened her ears against her head, and her voice grew quieter until it was barely a mumble. “He obviously could smell… I’m such an idiot…”  _

_ The officer cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Can you speak up?” _

_ Karla looked down at the table for several moments before she finally said, “Nick chased me and we… while under the influence of nightshade, he… we rutted.” _

_ “Was it consensual? Or--” _

_ The vixen still didn’t look up from the table. She took a long sip from the bottle of water in front of her and said, “Yeah, it was. I mean, I probably could have fended him off, if I’d wanted to. I can’t help it that I find him attractive, right?” Her face turned sour, and she added, “But apparently he’s only into rabbits, of all mammals--” _

_ The interviewer cleared his throat. “Please continue, and try to stick to the relevant facts.” _

_ Karla nodded. “Nick was… aggressive towards me at first, after we escaped the prison. He cornered me and when he got a whiff of me, his aggression quickly became more… amorous. I wanted to think his feelings for me had changed, but it was obviously because of the drug.”  _

_ The polar bear made an annoyed noise, and the vixen cringed. “Sorry. While we were being… intimate, he  curled around me, and then he growled out something. A single word. ‘Judy.’“ _

_ The vixen hung her head with an embarrassed look on her face and sighed. “And then he growled again. He bit down on my neck, and short circuited the shock collar I’d been forced to wear. It zapped both of us and he let go…” _

 

The video went on, but it barely registered with Judy. She felt queasy, and her heart hammered in her chest. Judy paused the video and took off the headphones. She knew she had to push her feelings aside for now, there would be time to process this later.

She noticed the timestamp on the file was from a few hours ago, so Nick probably saw it for the first time today. He also most likely hadn’t seen the entire thing, which made it seem even worse. Judy knew him well enough to know the guilt Nick was feeling right now must be crushing, and she could only imagine how badly he was tearing himself up at that very moment. She didn’t know what she would say, but she had to go talk to him. 

After she had convinced Francine to give her a ride and they were on their way to the train station, Judy pulled out her phone. This was one of those times where she was definitely going to need some backup.


	18. Chapter 18

Nick hung up the phone and mechanically put it in his pocket. A train was ready to depart, and he thought about how easy it would be to just slip aboard and not look back.

Nick shook his head. He’d almost done it again. It was hard, but putting off talking to Judy would have only added another layer of terrible on top of this already awful shit sandwich. Though assuming she ever spoke to him again after she watched the video, Nick didn’t even know where to start explaining it all to Judy.

Then like he’d done for months now, his mind wandered back to the nightmares he’d been having. He’d tried to convince himself it was Judy he was dreaming about, or that it really was just some weird leftover hallucination caused by the nightshade, and not something that had actually happened.

Nick remembered how Judy reacted to the vixen at the hospital, and how she’d been cheated on before in past relationships. He felt like a selfish asshole, but he didn’t want to lose her.

The tod’s thoughts continued to go around and around, until he felt an itchy feeling, like he was being watched. He turned to see Judy at the same moment she saw him. Nick’s breath caught, and his heart leapt into his throat.

 

***

 

Judy looked out across the station at Nick. He was on the train platform, sitting on a bench by himself in a sea of mammals. She couldn’t help but think how handsome Nick was, with his shiny spring coat already growing in. Judy could see how miserable he was when he turned to cast a forlorn look her way before he went back to staring at the ground.

Nick didn’t look up when she sat next to him. There was an awkward silence before he finally said, “Nothing I can say can make up for what I’ve done, Judy.” She started to speak, but he raised his paw and shook his head. “Lemme finish. I should have figured it out... from the dreams, I mean. But I wanted to find Karla, to make sure…” He trailed off. After a long silence, he spoke again. “This is going to freak your family out. And I can’t hurt you or them like this.”

Judy blurted out, “You’re not trying to break up with me over this, are you?”

Nick barked out a sickened laugh. “What? Break up with… I assumed…. Judy, how can you even stand to look at me?” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “You smell so jealous right now, and I don’t blame you. This is just as bad as the kind of crap my dad pulled with my mom.”

Judy huffed in annoyance and shook her head. “No, it isn’t. And I am upset, but it’s not your fault. I know that.” Nick shook his head, but she soldiered on. “Look, I realize what family for you has been like, filled with disappointment, loneliness, and abandonment. You aren’t your dad, and this isn’t the same thing he did.”

Nick stared blankly past the few mammals still remaining on the mostly empty platform and Judy spoke again. “By the way, you’re worried about what my family will think… well, guess what?  **_You_ ** are part of my family now, you dumb fox. And there’s one thing you need to understand about rabbit families; we don’t abandon each other when things get tough.” Judy clasped her paws together and looked at her feet. “And what you actually are guilty of… I’m no better, because I did the same thing.” 

He replied with his usual snarky voice, but there was a sad edge to it. “You rampaged through the woods and attacked mammals and… other things?”

“No. I’m guilty of not treating you like a grown mammal. Through all of this, we’ve both kept important things from each other, pretending like we could protect each other’s feelings and somehow keep each other from worrying. But you should have talked to me about your nightmares sooner. And I should have talked to you about the eggs right away… we’re both adults, right?” Nick looked away as he fought back tears and Judy gently rested her paws on his arm. “Nick, look at me. Don’t shut me out.” She glanced over Nick’s shoulder and added, “Don’t shut  **_us_ ** out.” He turned to follow her gaze and saw her sister Hazel, along with a crowd of other Hopps family rabbits that had quietly gathered a few meters behind them.

With a look of openmouthed surprise on his face, Nick gazed at the rabbits milling about uncertainly and Judy said quietly, “I texted everyone on the way here and told them you needed their help.”

It wasn’t often that the tod was caught flat footed. A few tears rolled down his cheek, and Nick absently wiped them away before he finally tore his gaze from the rabbits to look at Judy and say, “I love you, you dumb bunny.” She stood on the bench and gave him a hug. His body felt like a coiled spring, but he relaxed and put his arms around her.

The crowd of bunnies started to hesitantly inch closer, but Judy shook her head once and Hazel quietly shooed them away.

Nick let her go and wiped a few more tears from his eyes before his body was wracked by a sudden shiver.

Judy said, “Should you be charged for the murder of those two mammals?” Nick shook his head. She continued in a softer voice. “Would you forgive me if our places were reversed?”

Nick’s breath hitched and he swallowed. There was a long pause before he looked at her and nodded. “Yeah, I’d forgive you. But--”

Judy cut him off. “Well, then there’s only one other mammal you need forgiveness from, Nick. You.”

The platform grew crowded again as mammals started to gather for the next train. Nick stared out across the platform for a few moments before a tiny smile teased across his face and he looked at her. “We really are terrible at this, aren’t we?”

Judy had practically been holding her breath while she’d waited for him to speak, and she exhaled loudly and laughed. “But as long as we’re terrible at it together, it’s ok, remember?” She reached over to hold his paw and said contritely, “I’m sorry I made so many dumb decisions without talking to you first. I dived right in like I always do, justifying it all by pretending like I was simply doing Hazel a favor. Instead, I was unfairly trying to rope you into raising kits with me, the kits of someone who seemed to hate your guts, no less. Yeah, I wouldn’t mind some of my own someday, but the only way that will happen is if I adopt… if  **_we_ ** adopt, but you and I need to make that decision. Together.”

Nick made a noise Judy had never heard from him before, a whine that came out as an odd, wheezing laugh. He was about to speak, when the train pulled into the station. The doors opened and mammals streamed onto the platform.

Nick shakily stood up and Judy jumped in front of him with a look of alarm on her face. “You aren’t still going to leave, are you?”

He gave her a weary smile. “I’m not going anywhere, Fluff.” He sighed and looked past her. “I never was.”

“Then why are you here?” She looked around in confusion, before she realized he didn’t have any luggage. “Wait, are you meeting someone? Who?”

“I could explain, but you may as well just wait a minute until she gets here.” Judy felt a momentary surge of jealousy. Nick sniffed once and laughed. “Carrots… look, it’s not like that. I think you’ll like her.” His voice quavered uncertainly when he added, “At least, I hope you will. Oh, there she is.”

Judy turned to look, but her view was blocked by a hippo walking towards them carrying a padded carrier on her shoulder. She tried to see around the plump mammal, uncertainly searching for a white vixen, until the hippo paused directly in front of them and spoke. “This is highly irregular, Mr. Wilde. You’re supposed to meet me down at the main office later, since there’s a mountain of paperwork to go through first.”

“I just couldn’t wait.” Nick glanced at Judy before looking back up at the hippo. “Can we see her?”

The larger mammal knelt and carefully held out the open topped carrier. Inside was a tiny grayish fox kit, swaddled and fast asleep.

Nick cleared his throat. “Carrots, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Vivi.”

 

_ If someone had told me this morning that I’d be meeting Nick’s daughter today, I would have thought they were crazy. Could I honestly be mad at him? It wasn’t like I’d really given him any warning before getting the eggs implanted, and he’d only just found out about Vivian. I think he would have eventually told me, if the caseworker hadn’t shown up first. _

_ A few days ago the Northlund police captured Karla at the hospital where she went after going into labor. She’s being held on several drug related charges, and may also face charges in connection with the murder of her mother. _

 

Judy hugged Hazel and said goodbye to all her siblings that had helped move a few borrowed things from the warren to Nick’s apartment. He’d decided he wanted to spend the first night with Vivian at his place, since it was bigger and mostly empty anyway.

Judy shut the front door before she walked to the bedroom and found Nick standing over a small white crib with carrots on the side. He looked nervous as he peered down at the sleeping fox kit.

Judy walked over to Nick and he gently hugged her to his side. “I’m terrified.”

“Of what?”

“Of being a horrible dad, like my father was.”

Judy smiled mischievously and said, “Well, I guess I’ll just have to stick around, to keep an eye on both of you.”

He smiled. “I don’t deserve you, Judy.”

“I don’t deserve you either. But you’re mine, Nick Wilde. And I’m yours.”

He looked sad for a moment before he said, “How can you stand to look at her? Won’t she remind--”

“She reminds me of you, Nick. Only you. Please… let me help you. Both of you. I’ll beg if you want.”

Nick laughed, then held his breath when the fox kit stirred restlessly. He froze, unsure of what to do, until Judy grabbed his paw and gently held it against the kit’s back. Vivian sighed and kept sleeping.

 

_ Karla’s trial is almost over, and she’ll be headed to prison for awhile. She’s made a plea deal on the drug charges, though at least she’s no longer a suspect in her mother’s murder, thanks in part to Nick’s testimony. _

_ Speaking of mammals going to prison, we finally arrested Marmota. He’s been charged with forty-eight counts of illegal wiretapping, including the communications equipment of a police officer, withholding evidence that impacted at least five different police investigations, including one murder, and twenty-three counts of blackmail. There will certainly be more to come, since other mammals have come forward after seeing his arrest on the news. It’s amazing the lengths to which he went to ruin the lives of others, just to put a few more dollars into his pocket. Speaking of which, the Zootopia Gossip has lost quite a few readers since the ZBI started investigating them. _

_ Closer to home, things have been going great for us. Nick offered to put some of the skills he learned on the camping trip to use at the warren. It turns out bunnies aren’t too keen on killing and cleaning fish, so he’s been helping out with that. And though it was a rough transition at first, Nick has been dropping Vivi off at the warren daycare. She started walking after only three weeks and chewing on everything, including the ears of the other kits, at six weeks. I can’t believe how independent she is compared to a baby bunny, and Vivian is so noisy and rambunctious when she’s awake, but she seems to be settling in ok. _

_ I always try to beat Nick there when I know he’s picking her up. The way his face lights up when he sees his daughter at the end of a long day at work… it’s hard to describe. But I love seeing it, every single time. _

_ It took a bit longer than I thought it would, but we’ve finally moved in together, and I’m excited. Tonight I’m trying to give Nick space so he can put Vivi to bed, since they’ve already got their bedtime routine down. Still, maybe I will go peek in on them. _

 

Judy put her journal on the bedside table and crept to Vivian’s bedroom. The door was ajar, and Judy  smiled when she heard Nick speaking softly.

“ _ Vintery mintery cutery corn…” _


	19. Bonus Addendum

I almost named this story  _ Make Your Way Home, Nick _ .

 

I appreciate all the people out there who have read my stories for the past year and a half. I treasure every comment/kudo/like/follow, and it’s been crazy fun.

 

In case you’re reading this somewhere without images (I’m looking at you, fanfiction), check out my tumblr account (pulltogetherfanfic on tumblr) where I’ll be posting images from my fanfic stories, including a final bonus image for this one. I’ll also explain over there why this story took me so long to finish, and what I’m working on next.

 

I want to thank red-velvet-panda for the cover picture, and ittybittykittytittys for the final bonus picture (you can find both of them on tumblr). And last but certainly not least, a million thanks to my beta readers, Pixiestick_cc and UmbraTsuki. Go read their stuff on AO3, it’s awesome!

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to Red Velvet Panda for the cover image for this story:  
> [Her tumblr](http://red-velvet-panda.tumblr.com/post/151504589058/lost-pulltogether-asked-if-id-be-willing-to-do)
> 
> And of course thanks to Pixiecc for all of the beta reading.


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